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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27782938">Mixed Messages</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimmsterJ/pseuds/GrimmsterJ'>GrimmsterJ</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Grimm (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Mystery, Post-Canon, Renard's other daughter, Whump, royals behaving badly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:08:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>62,210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27782938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimmsterJ/pseuds/GrimmsterJ</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years after the defeat of Zestorer, teenage Amanda Prentice first hears the words "Oh my God! A Grimm!" She finds herself poured into a dangerous new world which sets her own powerful instincts against revenge driven Wesen and ambitious, manipulative, Grimm seeking Royals. It's a world she never imagined could possibly ever exist.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amanda Prentice (OC) &amp; Diana Renard-Schade, Nick Burkhardt/Adalind Schade, Rosalee Calvert/Monroe, Sandra Prentice (OC) / Misty Prentice (OC), Theresa Rubel &amp; Amanda Prentice (OC)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Black Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Black eyes?  And what's a Grimm?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 1<br/>Black Eyes</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p><em>What are you,</em> wondered Amanda Prentice as she stared into the gold-trimmed mirror. She rested her fingers on the bathroom vanity, leaned forward, and blew was a burgundy kiss. She picked up a tissue, sighed, and wiped her mouth. She rubbed her fingertips over her olive cheeks, focused, and twisted her head. Her face rounded and flattened into a feline snout. Long, white fangs poked out of powerful jaws, and a layer of black fur sprouted, blanketing her body.</p><p>A blonde haired woman rolled the lint off her gray pantsuit and glanced at the microwave clock. She stared up the stairs, crossed her arms, and said, "Honey, hurry up and come on. I'll be waiting in the car." She turned and walked out the door.</p><p>Amanda yelled "OK, Mom," and turned back to the mirror.</p><p>Amanda inspected her fingers, form-fitted with slick fur, flexed the muscles in her forearm, and extended two-inch long, black claws. She relaxed and they retracted. She scrunched a lock of her curly mane. <em>I'm</em><em> definitely Lowen, like Mom, sort of, but different. My </em><em>claws are longer, but I'm so small, and my fur isn't as thick. I wish everybody would quit pestering me about finally fanging out.</em><em> I'll tell them when I'm ready. </em></p><p>She chuckled. <em>I </em><em>wonder what I'm getting for my thirteenth birthday? It's only a month away.</em></p><p>Amanda reached up to flatten the fur on her face when she caught a black flash in the mirror. She whirled, slashing her claws, and liberated a shower of fuzzy ribbons from her pink bath towel. Amanda crouched forward, claws out, teeth bared, and searched the empty bathroom. She batted the towel shreds aside and inspected the shower. She poked her head out into the dark hallway, narrowed her eyes, perked her ears, and sniffed.</p><p>Amanda turned back to the mirror and recoiled. Her claws ripped into the wooden door, barely catching her fall. She steadied herself, rubbed her face, leaned forward, stared into the two huge, black eyes looking straight back at her, and thought, <em>What in the heck?</em></p><p>She paused, leaned even closer, reached a furry finger up and pulled on the corner of her left eye. She lifted her upper eyelid, pulled down her lower eyelid, and stretched the corners, searching for the merest shred of white. The only thing lurking in the bottomless blackness was her own Lowen reflection.</p><p>She wondered, <em>What's going on here? I'm pretty sure this isn't right. Oh my gosh, my eyes look so weird and creepy! And what's the deal with my reflection floating like that?</em></p><p>Amanda twisted her head and transformed back to her human form. She poked, prodded, pulled, and stared into her blue eyes. <em>OK, normal.</em></p><p>She repeated her transformation, rubbed her eyes, and thought, <em>I'm not sick, they don't burn or feel swollen. Nothing feels wrong. Why don't they look anything like Mom's Lowen eyes. I've never heard of anything that has weird, creepy, empty, black eyes like this.</em></p><p>She stuck her head out into the hallway and yelled, "Mom! Mom! I think there's something wrong with my eyes."</p><p>A slam, followed by stomping, and finally her mother's voice yelling up the stairs, "Amanda Prentice! We're already going to be late for school! I'm leaving NOW! It's 6:35 AM! You do this every single morning! Get your tail out of the bathroom this instant!"</p><p>"No, Mom, my eyes are black! What's going on?" Lowen-Amanda stood, staring in the mirror, pulling on the corners of her black eyes.</p><p>She heard her mother stomping up the stairs, stared at the tattered towel carcass, then the claw marks gouged into the door, and thought, <em>Oh, no! Mom's going to kill me!</em></p><p>"Come on! We have to go right now!" Sandra yelled as she flashed her eyes fiery yellow. She twisted her head, transforming herself, revealing her tawny mane, body-hugging fur, flattened feline facial features, powerful fangs, and light brown claws.</p><p>Sandra burst in the door, and yelled, "Now! Amanda Prentice!"</p><p>She stared straight into the Grimm's black eyes, saw her own Lowen reflection hovering in the empty, soulless abyss, and the sum of her greatest fears found her.</p><p>Sandra roared, "OH MY GOD, A Grimm!"</p><p>She slashed her claws at it. The Grimm hammered a supercharged punch and a kick into her, knocking her out of the bathroom. She bounced, careening into hallway, and smashed a dent into the wall.</p><p>Panicked, Sandra focused her tunnel vision on a dark blur and the endless blackness of The Grimm's eyes. <em>A Grimm! Here! In my house! To hack off our heads! Mandy! My family! They can't already be dead! No! They won't be able to fight it off! I've got no other choice, I have to kill it!</em></p><p>The Grimm flew out of the bathroom, slamming punches and knees into her. She blocked, punched, clawed, and grappled for position from her back, while icy black death stared straight through the very depths her soul.</p><p>Sandra grabbed The Grimm's steel arms, legs, and neck, over and over, to trap it into lock after lock, choke after choke. The Grimm simply wrenched loose, smashed punches and kicks into her, and hammered away in search of it's prize, her head.</p><p>Sandra fought with every single ounce of resolve she possessed. She grimaced as realization set in, <em>I have no choice! I have to save Mandy from this Grimm, even if it costs me my own life!</em></p><p>Every time she glimpsed into The Grimm's eyes, the reflection of her own death floating in the soulless, jet black abyss cut straight through her consciousness, flooded her instincts with dread, and muddled her judgment with panic.</p><p>She shook her head and steeled herself, <em>Focus on your training! Focus on position and technique! You've been doing this for thirty years! Stop panicking! Focus! You have to do this!</em></p><p>Sandra slid her legs over the Grimm's chest, grabbed it's wrist, and extended her thighs.</p><p>The Grimm pushed up to it's feet, forcing Sandra onto her shoulders upside down, while she hauled into the arm bar with all her strength. The Grimm twisted around and pounded left hooks into her kidney and lower ribs. Fire shot through her chest, she lost her breath, and let go, kicking her legs off, rolling up, and swinging a left kick that splintered the bathroom door jamb.</p><p>The Grimm swung a low kick into the back of her knee and yanked her hair. Sandra fell backwards with The Grimm riding her chest, pounding at her head. Sandra hit the floor with her elbows up, deflecting punch after punch that scrubbed her ears and cheeks.</p><p>She grabbed The Grimm's head and pulled down, but it pushed it's back up and kicked knees into her ribs.</p><p>She kicked it's legs out and threw her leg over, locking it's body against hers again. She shifted her hips and arms one millimeter at a time, guiding The Grimm's movements while snaking herself into position, inch by inch. She grabbed an arm, pulled left, shifted her weight, twisted, and forced The Grimm to roll onto it's back, still smashing elbows and heels into her. She gritted her teeth, shifted position again, locked her ankles around it's waist, slid her forearm under it's chin, and extended her torso.</p><p>Sandra leaned into the choke and tilted The Grimm's head to one side. She opened her fangs to rip it's throat out when something dark blanketed her face. The scent of her daughter's hair flooded into her nostrils. Her eyes focused on a thick mound of dark, curly hair laying over olive skin. <em>Mandy? Wait! Is this Mandy? Where is the Grimm?</em></p><p>Amanda arched her back, grunted, dug her hands into her forearms, and started wrenching her apart. Sandra thought, <em>How is she doing this? She's barely a purple belt. She's not even that good! I can submit two-hundred fifty pound bouncers all day. No! No! No! She's about to break my wrists!</em></p><p>She shifted position, tightened her forearm, leaned back, twined her leg around Amanda's, and pulled with every fiber of her strength, but the pain of her shoulders and elbows being torn out of joint forced her to release and claw for a new position. <em>I have no idea how Mandy can possibly do this, she's not even ninety pounds. I'm eight inches taller and I've been competing at one-hundred forty five for years now! You're going to have to do this old school, the same way you handle every single high school wrestling hotshot who thinks he can throw a girl around. Wear her down, gain position, then choke her out.</em></p><p>Amanda gritted her teeth, grunted, dug her toes into the floor, ripped her arms free, kicked her leg over, mounted up on top of Sandra's chest, winced her black eyes, and rained fists, elbows, and knees down.</p><p>Sandra's elbows instantly came up, deflecting punches. She smashed elbows into Amanda's furry face and ears, and pulled Amanda's head into her chest, but the girl simply pumped knees into her ribs until she let go.</p><p>Sandra flew to her feet and jabbed a flurry of punches at Amanda, who blocked, feinted, and returned a flurry of inside hooks, rocking Sandra's ribs. Sandra twisted sideways, swung a backwards kick, sweeping Amanda's feet, and she pounced, wrapping the girl like a boa constrictor.</p><p>Her daughter braced her feet against the wall, slid her fingers under Sandra's elbow and grunted. Sandra's shoulder twisted the wrong way. She grimaced, released, then instantly slithered her other arm in. Amanda twisted herself, rolled inside Sandra's guard, pushed her into the opposite wall, and started hammering elbows into her face again, forcing her to pull her elbows up and block.</p><p>She remembered an incident, years ago, with her own father. <em>This better work, because she's not slowing down, and I'm out of ideas!</em></p><p>Sandra transformed back to her human form, blocking while Amanda straddled her chest. Her daughter's black eyes turned blue an instant before Amanda slammed a punch at her head. Sandra dodged as it brushed past her nose.</p><p>Amanda smashed her fist through the wood floor.</p><p>Sandra gasped, grabbed her daughter's furry cheeks, looked straight into her eyes, tapped her hand on Amanda's shoulder, and said, "Mandy! No! It's me! Mom!"</p><p>Amanda paused for a millisecond, tore free, jumped up, and bolted down the hall, crying, into her room, and slammed the door.</p><p>A family picture crashed off the wall and clattered on the hard floor. Sandra heard muffled sobbing. She slowly pushed herself onto her knees and stared at the hole her daughter punched through the floor, and said, "My God!"</p><p>Her fingertips slowly brushed over ragged splinters and she breathed in the scent of sawdust, drywall, and insulation while the fiasco replayed in her mind. She ran her fingers through the shredded remnants of her suit, now barely a heap of threads hanging off her body. She looked at purple painted toenails, wiggling out the end of shredded gray flats. <em>Come on! Seriously? These were my favorite shoes!</em></p><p>Exhausted, she stared at the floor and saw not one hole punched through it, but five. She ran shaking fingers over deep gashes covering the wood floors. She looked in shock and saw at least a dozen more holes in the wall and bathroom door. She turned and saw claw marks gouged into everything. She brushed across the fractured oak and shattered plywood lining a second hole as ice cold realization set in.</p><p>
  <em>I didn't fight her off. She just decided to stop.</em>
</p><p>Sandra's head spun as she sat, hunched over, on the floor, shaking. Her whole body ached and throbbed. <em>Is my Mandy a Grimm? How is that remotely possible? Grimms aren't even real - they're just legends. Nobody we know has ever seen one.</em></p><p>Sandra's stomach rolled. The bitter burn washed up through her mouth and nose as the basic principles of reproductive biology replayed through her head. <em>I slept with a Grimm?</em></p><p>Sandra's wife, Misty, wrapped in a damp bath towel, rushed up the stairs. Her wet hands pulled Sandra's blonde hair away from her flushed face. Her own brown hair still drizzled streams of soapy water. She watched Sandra hunch over in shredded clothes, vomit in the middle of the wreckage, and said, "Honey! You need an ambulance! Can you stand up?"</p><p>Sandra stuck out her hand and winced when Misty pulled her up. She said, "No, I'll be OK. I don't think anything is broken."</p><p>"You can barely even stand up. You need a doctor."</p><p>"It's Amanda."</p><p>"Huh? You need some help."</p><p>"No, Amanda."</p><p>"She finally fanged out? Is she hurt?"</p><p>Sandra knelt back down onto one knee, rested a hand on the floor, watched blood drool out of her mouth, and winced as pain shot through her ribs. She looked back up through trembling eyes, and said, "She's a Grimm!"</p><p>"A what? Did you say our daughter is a Grimm?" Misty instantly wogued into a Steinadler. Her black feathers trembled and huge eyes stared over a thick, orange beak. The bird monster shook her head, transformed back into Misty, and said, "Are you sure?"</p><p>"I saw her eyes. There's no mistaking it. And, well..." Sandra waved past the wreckage.</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"Mandy's father must have been a Grimm? I guess. That's the only way to explain this."</p><p>Sandra thought back fifteen years ago. She became obsessed with having a baby the year she married Misty. They couldn't afford IVF or similar procedures. She simply found men on various internet dating websites who looked promising. Two driven, task oriented years finally proved successful. Nature took it's course, and they never looked back. They dearly loved their only daughter. She was the singular bright, shining star in their life.</p><p>"Didn't you wogue to check them?"</p><p>"Of course! I checked all of them. Most of the guys were just normal Kehrsite and couldn't see me wogue. There were only a few Wesen, like the Klaustreich racer guy. No Grimms. I didn't even think there was such a thing in real life - I just thought it was some crazy legend my parents told to make me behave. Have you ever seen one?"</p><p>"No. I didn't think they were real either. She's still your daughter, so she has to be half Lowen, right?"</p><p>Sandra started sobbing, and said, "I guess. I don't know. It all happened so fast. There was a Grimm, here, inside our house, to hack off our heads. It found us, Mandy, you, and me. I attacked it before I knew what happened. She almost killed me! Oh my god! I attacked my own daughter! Our daughter!"</p><p>"Let me try to talk to her" Misty said, and patted Sandra's shoulder. She walked down the hall, stopping at the picture on the floor. She picked it up and brushed across the image of herself, Sandra, and their daughter under broken glass. She sighed and leaned it up against the wall.</p><p>She knocked on Amanda's door. "Mandy. Can I come in?"</p><p>"Go away, Mom! There's something wrong with me!" Amanda sobbed.</p><p>"Mandy, sweetie? Your first time fanging out is a very important, strange experience. Can you open the door?"</p><p>Amanda cracked the door open, peeked out, and said, "Mom? What's a Grimm?"</p><p>Misty slowly pushed the door open, looked at her daughter standing next to a messy twin bed, crying, wrapped in a pink unicorn comforter, shaking.</p><p>She kissed her daughter's head, and said, "It's going to be OK, honey. How are you feeling?"</p><p>"I was looking at myself in the mirror. I made myself wogue, and my eyes turned weird, creepy black. I saw my reflection floating in them. That never happened before, they were always blue. I tried to ask Mom about it and she freaked out. I don't really know what happened - it felt like I got hit by a bolt of lightning and the whole world stopped." She started crying again and whispered. "I don't know why, but I wanted to kill Mom."</p><p>Misty wrapped her into a warm hug, and said, "Can you show me?"</p><p>Amanda trembled, and said, "Mom! What if I try to kill you?"</p><p>Misty hugged her daughter again. "Honey, we'll try to do it calmly. Can you try?"</p><p>Amanda snuck behind the bed and twisted her head. She transformed from the petite curly black haired girl to a petite black haired Lowen. She looked mostly like a regular teenage female Lowen except she was smaller, her hair was black, and she was less hairy. Her mane was very curly and her eyes were blue instead of regular bright yellow Lowen eyes.</p><p>"OK so far, Kiddo?" Misty asked.</p><p>Amanda sighed, and said, "So far."</p><p>"OK, I'm going to wogue and take a look." Misty transformed, and watched Amanda's eyes shift black. She stared into her feathery reflection floating in Amanda's eyes, and said, "Oh my gosh! You are a Grimm, but you're a Lowen! I didn't think that was possible. How do you feel?"</p><p>Misty noticed Amanda tense up and sensed that Amanda's killer instinct had blasted into overdrive, but she was able to control herself because there was no confrontation. This time was somehow different.</p><p>"Weird! It's like the whole world stopped and everything is moving in slow motion." Amanda carefully said, "It's like I want to kill everything. What's wrong with me?"</p><p>Misty transformed back to her human form, carefully walked over to Lowen Amanda, wrapped her up in a huge hug, and said, "Nothing is wrong with you, honey! I guess this is just who you are."</p><p>Sandra limped in, leaned heavily on the door jamb, and said, "Honey, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were a Grimm."</p><p>Misty felt her daughter tense up stone hard, and unconsciously grit her teeth. She petted Amanda's head and said, "Shhhhh! Calm down, honey, it's just your mom."</p><p>Sandra carefully walked over, kissed her daughter's head, and wrapped her up in a hug. "It's OK, honey. It'll be OK. I'm sorry I attacked you. It was such a shock."</p><p>Amanda asked again, "Mom, what's a Grimm?"</p><p>Sandra and Misty looked at each other. They agreed, years ago, not to teach their daughter any of the old Grimm legends or wives' tales. It never occurred to them that Grimms were actually real. Misty paused and thought for a minute. "Um, according to the legends, a Grimm is kind of like a hunter that kills Wesen. Their eyes turn black and Wesen see their reflections floating in them."</p><p>"Like my eyes?"</p><p>Sandra brushed her fingertips through Amanda's hair, and said, "So you saw it too? Yes, just like your eyes."</p><p>"Is a Grimm a Wesen, like us?"</p><p>Sandra paused to ponder the question, then said, "Well, I don't think so. Nobody we know has ever seen one, so we thought they were just made up. You know, crazy old nonsense our parents taught us to make us behave. We never thought Grimms were real. The stories say they don't wogue. They supposedly look like normal Kehrsite people. I'm going to wogue again and look at your eyes to see if they still turn black when you aren't wogued. OK?"</p><p>Amanda looked worried, but said, "I guess."</p><p>Sandra wogued into Lowen mode, glanced briefly into Amanda's eyes, shuddered and tensed up. She looked away, exhaled, then quickly transformed back. "Yep, you're definitely a Grimm. You still OK, honey?"</p><p>Amanda clenched, then relaxed her fists. She looked at her mother, limping in her tattered clothes, then at Misty, wrapped in a bath towel with soaking wet hair, and said, "Yes, I guess. So, my father?"</p><p>Sandra smiled and hugged her. "Well, he must have been a Grimm..."</p><p>"Do you know...?" Amanda trailed off.</p><p>"No, honey. We don't know who your father is. That doesn't matter because you are still our daughter."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Sandra and Misty worried about sending Amanda to school. Every single Grimm story they knew ended with the Grimm murdering everyone. What if she Grimmed at school and murdered somebody? What if she Grimmed and murdered both of them?</p><p>"Mandy, I think we're going to have to do online learning for a little while."</p><p>"Mom! I hate those classes. They don't make any sense."</p><p>"I think it's the best option, at least, for right now, till we can figure this out."</p><p>"What about cheerleading?"</p><p>Misty and Sandra looked at each other.</p><p>"Can I at least go to MMA practice? Mom?"</p><p>"Honey, it's just not safe."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Evening sunlight filtered in through the kitchen window, casting a warm sunbeam onto a brown oak kitchen table and white cabinets. Misty and Sandra sat at the table, chatting, after a day full of incomprehensible, confusing, poorly written, internet classwork...</p><p>Sandra poured gin over a short glass full of ice, sloshed tonic water over it, tossed in a lemon wedge, and said, "I'm going to kill whoever came up with these crazy assignments. I swear!"</p><p>Misty leaned back, smelled her coffee, and chuckled. "You say that every single time."</p><p>"I mean it this time. Seriously! I'm an accountant! Math is my actual job. You can't do math with tick marks in boxes! There's a reason they abandoned that in the fifteen hundreds. It's a dead-end..."</p><p>"It's in the state standards."</p><p>"So maybe the Curriculum Committee needs to get a visit from The Grimm."</p><p>"You're going to send our daughter to decapitate the state curriculum committee?"</p><p>"If I have to deal with a Grimm crying about idiot, dead-end math, they should too."</p><p>"We don't own an axe. Where would you find her one?"</p><p>"Online."</p><p>Misty pulled up her phone with a mischievous look. "Hmmm, look, an antique decapitation axe. Expensive."</p><p>Sandra looked at the listing online and chuckled. "It would be worth it."</p><p>Misty laughed out loud, then paused. "Do you think we maybe ought to reach out to a Grimm for some parenting advice?"</p><p>"If any of those legends are true, a Grimm would just kill us and probably Mandy too. She almost killed me today, and she's only thirteen. It was like fighting an entire football team all at once. She was just so incredibly powerful and fast. Did you see the holes she punched through the floor? Her hand didn't even get hurt!"</p><p>"Ok, fine, you don't have to rub it in. You were right about all that board breaking you guys do at martial arts practice."</p><p>Sandra laughed out loud, then grimaced with her left hand supporting her ribs. "I'm too old for this. What was I thinking? Five more years? I'm going to be forty-eight when she graduates highschool."</p><p>"Look at it on the bright side: with her grades, she's definitely going to college.."</p><p>"You're not helping."</p><p>"You know, maybe the legends are just that. I mean, my parents always told me about Lowen killing Steinadler for the fun of it, and look at us."</p><p>"Where on earth would we find a Grimm? I've never even seen one."</p><p>Misty tilted her head and smirked.</p><p>"Come on! Seriously? That's not fair."</p><p>"We should ask around and see if anybody knows a Grimm who's decent, you know, not an axe murderer..."</p><p>"What do we tell our parents? Do we even tell them?"</p><p>"I guess we're going to have to tell them something. They all love Mandy and keep pestering us about 'When is she going to fang out?'"</p><p>"What if she attacks them like she attacked me? We can't risk her killing our parents. Seriously! Are we playing with a loaded gun here?"</p><p>"That's why we've got to get out ahead of this. We have to find somebody who knows something about raising a Grimm."</p><p>Sandra grumbled, but she knew Misty was right.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>4.1k words, 1/26/21 r8</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Friends in Grimm places</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda's parents seek out some parenting help.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed messages<br/>Chapter 2<br/>Friends in Grimm places</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>"I'm starting to think this is a terrible idea." Sandra grumbled as she paced through her kitchen.</p><p>Late afternoon sun shone in through the kitchen window onto the white linoleum floor. A gentle breeze swayed the bushy Cedar trees that lived past their dark brown privacy fence, and brown haired Misty trudged past their oak table, shoulders fallen. She leaned back against a Formica countertop, phone to her round, pinkish cheek. "No, you know that's not my intention. No! I'm not trying to bring the axe on my own mother. All we're looking for is parenting advice. Dad! Well, I'm sorry."</p><p>Sandra put her hand over the microphone on her phone, and whispered, "Cross your mom and dad off the list?"</p><p>Misty sighed and paged through her contact list. "Yeah. Your uncle Ralph?"</p><p>"Already called. Hey, what about your Aunt Sue and Uncle Marty? They were always really open minded."</p><p>Misty slumped, resting her chin in her palms while her wavy hair draped her face and brushed the table top. She sniffed, wiped her eyes, and said, "My Aunt Sue said, and I quote, 'What sort of God forsaken person would bring this curse upon her own family?'"</p><p>Sandra rubbed a calloused hand across Misty's shoulders, and said, "I'm sorry."</p><p>"We've been at this for three months and we haven't gotten anything but rejection."</p><p>"And death threats."</p><p>Misty nodded, thought for a minute, then asked, "Hey, what about your weird cousin down in Portland?"</p><p>"Jess Riley? The one who tries to rope me into killing and eating you every time I talk to her?"</p><p>Misty refilled her pink "World's Best Mom" coffee mug, smelled the nutty aroma steaming out of her cup, and said, "I guess."</p><p>"I hate talking to her. She's the least open minded Lowen I know, and I know a lot of Lowen. Last time I visited her, she served me Reinigen for dinner. I seriously doubt she knows any Grimms."</p><p>Misty took a sip of her coffee, sighed, pinched her forefinger and thumb against the bridge of her nose, and slouched down in the chair.</p><p>Sandra laid her hand on Misty's, gently squeezed it, and said, "I know, what have we got to lose?"</p><p>She stared at her phone for a long time, then finally hit the call button. Jess picked up quickly and they talked, exchanging pleasantries. A few minutes later, Sandra shot to her feet, bristling, and hissed, "You mean kill my own wife? No, absolutely not!"</p><p>She snarled at the phone clenched in her hand, cocked her arm back to throw it across the kitchen, and caught a glance at Misty. She paced back across the kitchen, exhaled and composed herself, put the phone back to her ear, and continued. "Jess, look, that's not why I called."</p><p>They talked some more. Finally, Sandra put her hand over the receiver and mouthed, "Jess knows a Grimm?"</p><p>After the call, Sandra ran a hand through her blonde hair, and stared out the window. She set her coffee cup into the sink and found a glass, sloshed some gin and tonic water over ice, squeezed in half a lemon, and sat next to Misty. She sipped, and finally said, "You'll never believe this. Jess says she knows a Grimm in Portland."</p><p>Misty gulped heavily, and said, "Portland? An actual Grimm? In Portland? That's barely three hours from here!"</p><p>They looked at each other with a nervous look. Misty stood up and paced across the kitchen while Sandra finished her gin and tonic and poured a second.</p><p>Sandra said, "We don't have to do this, you know. Maybe it's better if we forget about this business about meeting a Grimm."</p><p>Misty stared into her coffee cup, trying to still herself against wracking terrors. She lifted her head and all the color in her face was gone. "I don't want to. There's nothing I would rather do than run..." She trailed off, biting her lip. A tremble shook her body. She finally exhaled, stilled her shaking, and said, "But this is for Amanda."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"Yes. I... I don't know why, but we have to."</p><p>Sandra took a sip and said, "Jess works in corrections. Apparently, the Grimm is a cop. My cousin says she met him when he brought in a Drang-Zorn girl that was having anger issues after fanging out. He wanted to make sure the kid was with Wesen to help her work through it. She said he's a good guy."</p><p>"Were any of the men from your baby adventure from Portland?"</p><p>"Of course not," Sandra said with a smile, "There was only one anywhere near here, and he's definitely not her father."</p><p>Misty quirked one eyebrow.</p><p>"Remember?"</p><p>Misty shrugged with a quizzical look.</p><p>Sandra looked around furtively before whispering in Misty's ear.</p><p>Her eyes shot open, and she blurted out, "Seriously?"</p><p>"I was desperate. None of the others were within three hundred miles of here."</p><p>Misty heaved a sigh of relief, and then her face brightened. "Hey, Remember Rosalee Calvert? From work? She moved back to Portland about eight years ago, when her brother died. She usually keeps her ear to the ground. I wonder if she might know anything about this Grimm."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few weeks later, Misty found herself with a day off work, so she snuck down to Portland.</p><p>The Spice Shop's door swung open with a welcoming jingle. Misty stepped in, and she went back one-hundred years. She wondered at the old store full of herbal remedies and bookshelves stacked to the brim.</p><p>A woman's voice echoed from among the shelves to her right, "Can I help you find anything?"</p><p>She slowly took in the sights and smells of the stacks of bags, boxes, and jars filling the well worn shop. She inhaled scents of cinnamon, cassia, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and the pungent, spicy aromas of a hundred more herbs, greenish smelling teas, and spicy medicinal concoctions. She brushed her fingers over glass jars with carefully written labels.</p><p>Wooden floors creaked and flexed as she wandered down one aisle and ambled up the next. Finally, she spied an olive skinned woman with wavy brown hair, an ochre sweater, brown pants, and a tan canvas apron, stacking glass jars of orange powder into wooden shelves. Misty's face immediately brightened, and she called out, "Rosalee!"</p><p>The woman looked up at her name and recognized her old friend. "Misty! Oh my gosh, is that you? Wow! It's so good to see you!" Rosalee's face brightened, and she set the jar of tumeric back into a box.</p><p>"How are things going? I was in the area and decided to stop by!"</p><p>"Crazy! You remember I got married right? Well, we have four kids now! How are you and Sandra doing? How's Amanda?"</p><p>"Four kids? You? Rosalee Calvert has actual kids? You swore you would never have any! I've got to see some pictures!"</p><p>Rosalee brushed her hands on her apron and escorted Misty to the dark wooden desk by the old cash register. She slid out her purple phone and found her album of pictures. Misty flicked through dozens of pictures of brown haired, brown eyed children, and smiled from ear to ear. "They are so cute! I never would have believed I would be looking at pictures of Rosalee Calvert's kids! This is crazy, right? Well, Sandra and I are doing well. Can you believe Mandy turned thirteen two months ago?"</p><p>"Thirteen! My gosh, where does the time go? She was so little when I left. Show me some pics."</p><p>Misty pulled out her phone and paged through dozens of pictures of Amanda with herself and Sandra.</p><p>Rosalee smiled but kept staring, quizically, at pictures of the blue eyed teen with olive skin and curly hair. She asked, "Do you have a picture for me?"</p><p>Misty smiled a broad grin, set her purse on the countertop, rummaged through a wallet stuffed with coupons and cards, and pulled one out. She said, "Absolutely. What sort of mother would I be if I didn't have an extra picture of my daughter?"</p><p>"So, has she fanged out?"</p><p>Misty bit her lip, looked away, and said, "Oh, she's Sandra's daughter if you know what I mean."</p><p>Rosalee snorted, put her hand over her mouth as her eyes glittered. She joked, "She's a handful?"</p><p>"You have no idea. Her mother always teased her that she hoped Sandra would have a daughter just like herself. Tell me about your husband? I remember he's not Fuchsbau?"</p><p>"Monroe is Bludbad. The kids are still too young to know. They're all healthy though."</p><p>"That's all we can ask for right?" Misty paused and looked around to make sure the shop was empty, then leaned in close, and whispered, "Rosalee, you know a lot of people, do you know any Grimms?"</p><p>Rosalee checked the shop, and asked, "Why?"</p><p>"For a friend. A friend has a mixed Grimm kid and would like some, uh, parenting advice."</p><p>"I do know a Grimm. He's a Portland police detective. He's my husband's best friend."</p><p>Misty's surprise was interrupted when the spice shop's wooden door swung open with a welcoming jingle. A medium height, athletic man, with close cropped black hair, a black bomber jacket, and bluejeans stepped in. He walked straight up to the counter, looked directly at them, and said, "Hey Rosalee! Have you seen Monroe?"</p><p>Rosalee slid Amanda's picture into her pocket and whispered, "Speak of the devil and there he is."</p><p>Misty's brown eyes popped open and she stared at The Grimm standing mere inches from her. She unconsciously shifted her body away from him.</p><p>He looked at the two women and said, "Is this a good time? You look like you're in the middle of something. I can come back later."</p><p>"Nick," Rosalee gently laid a hand on Misty's hand. "This is Misty. She's an old friend of mine from Seattle. She needs some Grimm advice."</p><p>"I'll be glad to help any way I can."</p><p>Misty involuntarily wogued into a Steinadler and stared into her own feathery reflection, suddenly floating in the darkness of Nick's Grimm eyes. He looked away, but she stood like a stone, shiny black feathers trembling, and peered over a long, orange beak.</p><p>Rosalee rubbed her hand across Misty's feathery back, and said. "It's fine Misty. He's a close personal friend of mine."</p><p>Misty retracted back into human form and watched his eyes turn blue. She exhaled, and said, "I never even knew Grimms actually existed till a couple months ago. I thought it was a legend or an old wives' tale. Anyway, I have a friend who has a mixed Grimm kid and needs some parenting advice."</p><p>"Ok, well, my kids are still pretty young. We get all our parenting advice from Rosalee, her mother in law, and father in law. Here's my card if your friend wants to give me a call. Rosalee is pretty familiar with Grimms now too. Is there anything in particular you want to ask?"</p><p>Misty shifted from one foot to the other and rocked, pondering how to ask the next question without losing her head. She looked at her friend, and said, "I don't know how to ask this... All the stories we were taught..." She trailed off as she motioned to Rosalee and herself, and she started shaking.</p><p>Rosalee laid her hand on Misty's trembling hand, and said, "The kid isn't going to hack you up with an axe or murder you in your sleep."</p><p>Nick gently chuckled, and said, "We aren't like that, but you should have seen Rosalee, when she saw me for the first time."</p><p>Rosalee chuckled, smiled at Nick, and then at Misty, and said, "I was convinced The Apocalypse was here, and he was going to chop off my head, but instead, he caught Freddy's killers and introduced me to Monroe, my husband."</p><p>He shrugged, chuckled, then winked, and said, "I must have left my axe at home that day."</p><p>Misty's posture straightened, her trembling stopped, and she pushed on. "Really? Ok, so would you try to keep the kid away from Wesen?"</p><p>"Absolutely not, especially if the kid is part Wesen. We're part of this world. Bad things happen when you isolate Grimms like that. They end up believing Wesen are weird mutants or monsters, and that justifies hunting them. Grimms like that have no concept that Wesen are people too. My honest opinion is that it's better to immerse the kids in the Wesen world they are part of. Maintaining close Wesen friendships is important to me."</p><p>"What about when they first, you know, change?"</p><p>"The first month for me was the worst. It's a gigantic flood of adrenaline and rage. I had no idea what was going on. I saw monsters everywhere, and wanted to fight and kill everything around me. It took a little while but I got used to it. Making Wesen friends helped me the most. Rosalee and her husband saved my life in more ways than one. Has your friend's kid started having nightmares?"</p><p>"Yes. How did you know?"</p><p>"It's normal. It's just part of being a Grimm. You said the kid is mixed?"</p><p>"Half Lowen."</p><p>Rosalee snuck a glance towards Misty, then stared off into space.</p><p>Nick continued, "Does the kid wogue?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"Cool! I'd love to meet them. There are hardly any Grimms in the world. The children of Grimms usually turn out Kehrsite."</p><p>Rosalee's ease around The Grimm proved contagious, and Misty found herself relaxing because of Nick's natural charm and friendliness. He was the exact opposite of everything she expected out of a Grimm.</p><p>Rosalee winked at Misty, and said, "Misty, Nick has four kids. They're mixed too. Nick, do you want to show Misty a few pics of your kids."</p><p>A big grin lit up Nick's face as he pulled out his phone. He proudly displayed dozens of pictures of a tall, blonde haired girl who looked eight years old, a black haired boy about four, a curly black haired girl about two, a blonde baby boy, his petite, blonde wife, and himself. Misty stopped and stared at the picture of his curly black haired daughter. She touched the screen, and said, "You have a beautiful family."</p><p>Nick blushed.</p><p>She brushed her fingers across the screen, zooming in on the youngest girl's blue eyes, curly hair, and olive skin, and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what sort of Wesen is your wife?"</p><p>"She's a Hexenbiest."</p><p>Misty's eyes popped open wide. She involuntarily wogued, and stepped back. She paused, black feathers trembling, and stared at the door, then back into Nick's eyes and finally at Rosalee. Her orange eyes peered, quizzically, over her long, sharp beak, as if calculating odds on making it out before Hell finished freezing over. She looked into his eyes again, then back at Rosalee leaning on the old countertop. Rosalee simply smiled and nodded. She finally shook the feathers on her head, transformed back into her human form, closed her eyes, and exhaled. "Sorry! I didn't think Grimms and Hexenbiests could have kids."</p><p>Nick leaned on Rosalee's countertop, chuckled, and said, "We get that a lot."</p><p>Misty was about to ask him another question, when he interrupted with, "Hey, Rosalee, have you ever heard of a Wesen called a Koalemus?"</p><p>Misty scratched her head and tilted it slightly to one side. "A Koalemus?"</p><p>Rosalee snickered. "Oh, I've heard of those. It's like a bad idea fairy. Sort of like a Musai that inspires you with stupid ideas."</p><p>Misty laughed out loud. "That's actually a real life thing?"</p><p>Nick grumbled under his breath. "I wish it wasn't."</p><p>He held out a card, and said, "Misty, it was good to meet you. I would love to meet these friends of yours. If you need any help, feel free to give me or Rosalee a call."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few hours later, Rosalee slid Amanda's picture out of her pocket and laid it on the worn countertop.</p><p>She leaned over and stared at the picture of Sandra's daughter, the tiny, olive skinned girl with blue eyes, and a mound of dark brown curly hair. She pulled up her phone and flicked through pictures of Nick's family. She laid Amanda's picture next to one of Nick's mom and his daughter, Cathrine, and marveled at the uncanny resemblance.</p><p><em>Sandra's daughter is thirteen?</em> Rosalee did the math. <em>That was a couple years before Nick and Juliette started dating and it was well before he Grimmed. I know Sandra wogued to check if he was Wesen, but his eyes wouldn't have turned black, so she wouldn't have known. Nick couldn't see Wesen before he Grimmed, so he never would have known she was Wesen</em><em>.</em> She chuckled, considering how completely impossible it all was, as she compared the three similar faces.</p><p>She remembered "Sandra's baby crazy" all too well. <em>I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, </em>Rosalee thought to herself, <em>Sandra was so obsessed and driven. She travelled some place every single weekend chasing after guys.</em></p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few nights later, Sandra dug into her closet. She rummaged under dresses and shoes, past old boxes, and worn wrapping paper, until she burrowed all the way into the back of her closet. Her fingers finally located the prize, hidden in the closet's darkest recesses, an old locked box. She unlocked it, and dug out a dusty file. The plain manilla folder was simply marked B.</p><p>She flipped through a stack of printed copies of dating website profiles. She set all the ones marked W to the side and carefully arranged the remaining pages marked K.</p><p>Sandra brought the file out, past a dark kitchen window, and a microwave clock showing midnight. She laid it on the kitchen table in front of Misty, and said, "Here are the Kehrsite ones."</p><p>Misty sipped coffee from her pink "World's best Mom" mug while the ceiling fan turned above her head. She flipped through dusty pages, peering at names, and slid one out. She tapped on the profile picture, and exclaimed. "Ha! I knew it! Him!"</p><p>Sandra looked up from her glass of gin, surprised, and said, "Really? How can you tell?"</p><p>Misty laughed, then said, "That's him! Rosalee's detective friend! I met him! That's his name - Nick Burkhardt! Here's his card! That's the Grimm! He's got a two year old that looks just like Mandy! Where did you find him?"</p><p>Sandra turned Nick Burkhardt's Portland Police detective card between her fingers, checked the faded profile printout and her pencilled notes, sipped her gin, and said, "Indianapolis."</p><p>"That's a long way from Portland. Hmmm."</p><p>Sandra shrugged, and asked, "So Rosalee really has a husband and FOUR kids? Our Rosalee?.</p><p>"Yep, I got to play with them. Three boys and a girl. She's married, her best friend is a Hexenbiest, and her husband's best friend is this Grimm, Nick!"</p><p>Sandra chuckled as she reminisced. "So much for Rosalee swearing off men. She's friends with a Hexenbiest AND a Grimm? Portland really is weird. I knew she was open minded but wow!"</p><p>Misty sipped her coffee as she perused Nick Burkhardt's old internet profile a second time. "Well, we do have a daughter who's a Grimm. Maybe we ought to get to know them."</p><p>Sandra set her glass down, frowned, and said, "Are you crazy? You said the Grimm is a cop and his wife is a Hexenbiest. What if this cop starts harassing us? What if his lawyer wife drags us to court. What if the Grimm is an axe murderer and kills all of us, including Mandy?"</p><p>"They're Rosalee's friends! They have four kids. He really didn't seem like either the sort who hacks up Wesen with an axe or the type who would kidnap somebody's kid."</p><p>Sandra grimaced, clenched her fingers around her glass, and said, "There are still too many who think people like us don't deserve to keep our kids! We know couples that lost their kids when the courts found out!"</p><p>"That was over ten years ago."</p><p>"Remember Marcia and April? Mandy was five when the courts took Joseph."</p><p>"Rosalee would have told me something like that."</p><p>"Rosalee is different now."</p><p>Misty snickered, took a sip of her coffee, and chuckled at the old internet profile. She said, "I still can't believe Rosalee is friends with a Grimm who's married to a Hexenbiest."</p><p>Sandra rolled her eyes, and said, "And they have four kids too? What do they put in the water down there? Mixed Grimm/Hexenbiest children! I wonder what those kids are like."</p><p>"Remember the old saying 'What do you get when you cross a Grimm and a Hexenbiest?'"</p><p>"Everybody dead."</p><p>"Could you ever imagine a Grimm crossed with a Lowen would end up being our little Mandy?"</p><p>"I know, right, she just looks so, I don't know, normal?"</p><p>"That Nick guy isn't a big guy at all. He just looks like every single person on the street."</p><p>Sandra sat up in her chair, cupped her hand on Misty's, and said, "You know, if Rosalee's Grimm friend really is Mandy's father, then I especially don't want to reach out to them. We just can't take that chance."</p><p>Misty glanced up the stairs, towards Amanda's room, then squeezed Sandra's hand, and said, "I agree. We can't risk losing our daughter."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>3.7k words 1/26/21 r5</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. What a Wookie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A chance encounter with an old friend provides a breakthrough.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed messages<br/>Chapter 3<br/>What a Wookie</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>Several weeks later...</p>
<p>Sandra stood in the checkout lane at the grocery store, surrounded by magazines, candy, and chips, staring off into space. <em>You, a Lowen, are intentionally trying to chase down a Grimm? For parenting help? Yeah, there's no way that could end badly. </em><em>How in the world did you manage to get yourself into this mess?</em></p>
<p>A reddish brown haired beast of a man rolled a cart up next to her. "Sandra, long time, no see." Warren "Big Wookie" Davidson grinned at her through his short cropped beard. He owned and ran the "Big Wookie MMA" gym where Sandra and Amanda trained. Everybody called him "Wook."</p>
<p>"Sandra, we've missed you and Mandy at practice. You guys OK," he asked. The towering giant formerly fought MMA professionally and was nationally ranked. Six current professional, nationally ranked MMA fighters trained at his gym as well. As a black belt, Sandra primarily trained people in Brazilian Jiujitsu grappling and MMA "ground game" at his gym. Sandra and Wook had been good friends for well over fifteen years.</p>
<p>She shifted side to side, fidgeted with her purse, and said, "Yeah, OK, I guess, life is just crazy right now."</p>
<p>"Sure, I get it, anything you want to talk about. How's Mandy doing? Did she finally fang out?"</p>
<p>"Yep, a couple months ago."</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows, shifted side to side, looked bashfully down into his cart, and waited.</p>
<p>She chuckled, elbowed him, and said, "No, she's not Wildermann. She's definitely mixed Lowen."</p>
<p>He sighed with relief, wiped his brow, and said, "How have you been hanging in there? You look a little black and blue."</p>
<p>"You know, super busy. We've been trying to train at home."</p>
<p>As a married father of three, himself, Wook nodded knowingly. "You know how Wesen kids are when they fang out. You have to burn off the kid energy and knock the edge off the crazy. Come on back out. We'll wear her out so that she won't even be able to walk. It'll give you a break, and you won't end up so black and blue."</p>
<p>Sandra's eyes brightened. She looked around nervously, then whispered, "Wook, promise you won't tell anybody. Mandy's a Grimm!" Wook's quick grin surprised her.</p>
<p>He looked around and whispered. "So Mandy Grimmed? Well, I thought you looked a lot more black and blue than I would expect from a teenage Lowen. Maybe we can help. I've got a Grimm who trains with a couple of the pro fighters after hours." He paused as a woman walked by, then quietly continued. "She's a great girl but had some bad experiences. She got kicked out of gyms because Wesen members freaked out or kept trying to kill her. Let me give her a call and find out when she's back in town. I'll make sure she's OK meeting you - but in the mean time, come on back out. We can arrange after hours training if we need to."</p>
<p>"Really? You think it's OK?"</p>
<p>"Absolutely!"</p>
<p>"What if she's an axe murderer?"</p>
<p>"Then just have Mandy leave her axe at the house."</p>
<p>Sandra rolled her eyes at her friend, laughed, then smiled, and said, "Awesome! See you at practice then!"</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>Wook was right. Amanda slept the whole way home after their first training practice. She calmed down, was more polite at home, and her grades made their way back up to her usual A's and B's. Sandra even noticed her daughter was able to read and do math longer without breaks.</p>
<p>Thursday night training started with the regular stretching and calisthenics, instruction, and sparring. Then Wook took Amanda to the back, got her suited up in pads, and sent her in to spar with "The Big Guys" while Sandra trained and coached Brazilian Jujitsu, submission holds, choke holds, and grappling. There, professional fighters over double her size took turns smashing, choking, throwing, and submitting her.</p>
<p>Sandra winced every time she heard loud cracks and crushing blows echo out of the back.</p>
<p>Amanda's first time after hours with The Big Guys was an eye opener. Sandra watched in horror as huge pro fighters wound up and slammed kicks and punches, flung her, and submitted her with various chokes and locks. She stood next to Wook in her black instructor's gi robe and said, "Wook, we've got to stop this. This is crazy. She's going to get killed."</p>
<p>Wook chuckled, "Mandy's fine. She's just got to get up to speed. Watch."</p>
<p>A big brown haired boxer flattened her with a giant right hand. She pushed up, shook her head, and crouched lower. Ron shot in to grab her and she sliced a left hook into his ear. He paused and shook his head, and she pounded a right cross into his ribs and a low kick across the side of his knee. He waved off and bumped her fist.</p>
<p>Sandra chuckled and called out, "Ron, watch out for those liver and kidney punches."</p>
<p>Ron walked over, and said, "How does she hit like that?"</p>
<p>Wook simply patted him on the shoulder. "I told you to not to let up. You were doing ok till you let your guard down."</p>
<p>"She's only thirteen and not even ninety pounds. She's so tiny. I'm not used to fighting people that small. I'm having trouble catching her."</p>
<p>"You're having trouble catching her because you keep letting her punch you in the head every time you shoot."</p>
<p>Ron shook his head and grumbled. Wook laughed, "Come on, Ron, you want to try to shoot me like that? You going to give me a freebie?"</p>
<p>Ron looked at Wook's giant, calloused hands, and shook his head.</p>
<p>The next thing that amazed Sandra was how fast Amanda improved. She got beat down pretty hard the first few weeks, but started catching them and connecting soon after. She smiled, relieved that it wasn't just her who had real trouble keeping up with a Grimm.</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>Six weeks later another young woman showed up to their after hours practice. She looked to be mid twenties. She was about Sandra's height and build, looked a bit tomboyish, and had short cropped, straight, black hair.</p>
<p>She gave Wook a big hug and a fist bump.</p>
<p>Wook walked up next to them, and said, "Sandra and Mandy, meet Lauren Cole. Lauren, Sandra and Mandy Prentice. Mandy is part Grimm."</p>
<p>Theresa Rubel lived in Seattle doing HW "secret squirrel" work under her Lauren Cole identity.</p>
<p>Lauren stuck out a hand and said, "Great to meet you. Mandy, do you mind showing me what we got?"</p>
<p>Amanda looked at her mom and Wook nervously. "It's OK Mandy." Wook said.</p>
<p>Amanda wogued, looked at Lauren, and said, "Mom! She has eyes like mine!" She jumped up and and hugged her. Lauren put her arm around Mandy in a hug.</p>
<p>Amanda excitedly asked, "Do you wogue too?"</p>
<p>"Nope, sure don't. I always wanted to. That's pretty awesome! So, are you Lowen?"</p>
<p>"Yep!"</p>
<p>"Sweet!"</p>
<p><em>The Grimm seems so normal, </em>Sandra thought. "So, Lauren, what do you do?"</p>
<p>"I'm an international sales rep for Xander adhesives. We're the 3rd largest industrial adhesives maker. I primarily rep their cardboard box glue. How about you? I hear you are one of the instructors here."</p>
<p>Sandra paused. Lauren didn't seem like the glue type. But then again - she was an accountant and black belt herself. "I'm an accountant. I help out with the BJJ training."</p>
<p>Soon Amanda and Lauren started sparring. Now Amanda looked like a kid working with an adult. Lauren clearly outclassed her and forced Amanda to rely on her technique and training. Amanda really enjoyed pounding away though. Lauren's technique wasn't perfect but it was a lot better than Amanda's. She wasn't relying on pure, sheer athleticism. Sandra carefully observed her. <em>It's pretty obvious this </em><em>Lauren girl has fought for her life and won. This isn't just a hobby</em>.</p>
<p>Soon Wook stood next to Sandra. "Mandy fights like a Grimm doesn't she? It doesn't look like they are going hard does it." He chuckled to himself, patted her on the shoulder, and said, "Just try jumping in. We learned the hard way - that's why we all wear heavy pads. The first time Lauren caught me with a good elbow she broke three ribs. It turns out that this is one of our secrets to staying competitive in pro fighting. You'll win most of your professional fights if you can keep up with a Grimm."</p>
<p>"Mandy punched a hole straight through our hardwood floor when she first Grimmed. I attacked her and she nearly killed me."</p>
<p>"We're going to need to get you training with big guys so you can learn techniques to slow her down. The hard part is what doesn't kill Grimms makes them stronger. They recover fast and then fight that much harder."</p>
<p>Soon the big guys started sparring and picked up the pace with Lauren. It took three of them to slow her down. Wook smirked and jumped in. Soon they wogued into "Beast Mode," and went at it really hard. Two Lowens, a Bludbad, and a Wildermann all slammed away with a Grimm. Lauren smiled a giant smile, shifted gears, and they all pounded away, trading vicious blows that could be heard from the parking lot. Sandra fought enough to know she didn't want any part of those blows.</p>
<p>Lauren ducked out for a second, found Amanda, and said, "Mandy! You want to come try?"</p>
<p>Amanda looked at her mom. Sandra tousled her hair and said, "It's OK honey, just make sure you have your mouthpiece." Amanda wogued and jumped right in. Soon she pounded away with the big guys in Lowen-Grimm mode and smiled a giant smile.</p>
<p>Sandra watched her daughter spar, half expecting her to fall, crying, and come running out in fear. <em>She looks more like a kid fighting with adults when they're in beast mode, but she's holding her own a whole lot </em><em>better than I would have expected.</em></p>
<p>Wook suddenly grabbed Amanda and flung her. She flew all the way across the gym, slammed into one of the padded walls, bounced, and landed in a pile. Sandra started over towards her, worried. Amanda pushed up, wiped blood off her mouth, smiled a giant smile, and went flying straight back into the fight.</p>
<p>Sandra watched with a look of half pride, half horror.</p>
<p>An hour later Wook called a stop to it. Amanda was now exhausted but she didn't show any signs of slowing down during the sparring. She was bruised and was bleeding from her nose and mouth. They didn't go easy on her.</p>
<p>Wook looked at the deep gashes sliced into their pads, and said, "Ha! I forgot Mandy has claws. We're going to need some better pads! Hey Lauren, do you know if they do cut proof pads with Kevlar like on bike leathers?"</p>
<p>Lauren's eyes lit up. She was bleeding from her mouth and nose as well. "Wook, sweet idea. I never thought of that either." She walked over to Amanda, patted her on the shoulder, and fist bumped. "You did awesome! Better than my first time with the big guys."</p>
<p>Amanda smiled a giant smile.</p>
<p>Wook looked at Sandra, his face lit up, and said, "You need to get a good set of heavy pads too. You need to practice with us, Mom."</p>
<p>Amanda was asleep in the car before they pulled out of the parking lot.</p>
<p>Sandra smiled. Wook was right. Training hard did take the edge off Amanda. He was also right that she was going to have to get in and get used to pushing hard against powerful, athletic opponents if she wanted any chance of slowing her daughter down.</p>
<p>This Lauren girl amazed her with how hard she went. Wook and the guys had certainly pounded her but Lauren knocked Wook down a bunch of times in Wildermann mode. The guy was a gigantic seven-foot tall beast and a pro fighter. She also caught Jeremy, the Bludbad pro fighter, with a hard left in the solar-plexus that folded him up and left him gasping and choking.</p>
<p>A few weeks later, Lauren offered her phone number if they needed anything. Sandra, Misty, and Amanda soon found themselves friends with a Grimm and all but forgot about the Portland Police Detective guy.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.1k words 11/30/20 r4</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Grimm and a friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Prentice family makes a new friend.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 4<br/>A Grimm and a friend</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Neither Sandra nor Misty expected a Grimm to be anything like Lauren. Grimms relentlessly hunted wesen and chopped heads. They didn't buy groceries, cook dinner, go to work, or wrangle babysitters.</p><p>Lauren seemed normal, down to earth, and completely comfortable around Wesen. She was good with kids and even accepted their family situation. She made an easy friend. She was a single mom and her son, Jess, was two.</p><p>Sandra looked over her coffee cup at Lauren, sitting on her green trimmed couch, drinking a cup of tea, and thought, <em>There's an actual, honest to goodness, real life, Grimm, inside my house! On purpose, and I invited her here! I bet Mom and Dad never thought that would happen in a million years. </em>She thought back to her highschool yearbook superlatives and chuckled,<em> I'm just lucky "Most likely to get knocked up by a Grimm" wasn't available.</em></p><p>Sandra watched Amanda play with Lauren's son and said, "Jess is such a cute little guy. You said you aren't from here. Do you ever get back to see family?"</p><p>Lauren matter-of-factly said, "No. My parents were murdered when I was a kid, and, well, his father and I aren't really talking." She stared at her son, happily playing with Sandra's daughter, and said, "He lives in Europe and never wanted any kids. He's always jetting around on some sort of adventure, saving the world. I tried to stay there, near his family, but it didn't work out. Work transferred me back here, and I haven't heard from him in over eighteen months."</p><p>"I'm so sorry."</p><p>Lauren looked at their house, the pictures and albums full of memories, sighed deeply, and said, "It's ok. We dated for two years. He left when Jess was one month old. All the endless nights with no sleep, crying, dirty diapers, falling asleep when you are cooking dinner, trying to chase down a store that sells diapers in the middle of the night, and working a job at the same time, I guess it was just too much, but I wouldn't trade my Jess for the world."</p><p>Sandra's eyes got a bit misty, and she said, "It was thirteen years ago, and I still remember literally dreaming of a nap. I was so exhausted, one night, that I forgot to put the lid on Mandy's bottle, and poured milk all over her face. It's not easy, raising a baby."</p><p>Lauren chuckled, then sighed, set her cup down, and said, "Unfortunately, there are so few of Grimms left in the world that my dating prospects are very limited. Normal Kehrsite guys always think I'm crazy. Dating Wesen is mostly impossible because the decent ones are always convinced I'm going to murder them in their sleep."</p><p>Sandra smiled politely, and said, "I can't imagine."</p><p>Lauren looked up from a plate of warm sugar cookies, laughed, and said, "I'm amazed that you actually managed to find a Grimm, much less get pregnant by one. The children of most Grimms never Grimm, they just turn out Kehrsite. Mandy is unique. It's so cool that she can wogue. To be honest, I'm pretty jealous of her claws."</p><p>Sandra chuckled over her cup of coffee and said, "Well, that wasn't exactly my plan. I still swear you're the first Grimm I've ever seen, besides Mandy."</p><p>Lauren winked at Sandra, and said, "Any idea who her father is? I'm just askin', for a friend."</p><p>"No, it was a long time ago."</p><p>Sandra peered at Lauren, swirled her coffee and found herself tapping the spoon on her saucer. She fidgeted in her seat, shifted side to side, looked down at her toes, paused, then asked, "Lauren, what do Grimms do? All the stories I ever heard were about axe murderers hacking peoples heads off for woguing in public. You don't really seem like that sort."</p><p>Lauren took a slow sip of her tea and said, "We do all sorts of stuff. One is a police officer. Another works in a factory. Another is an accountant, and I sell glue."</p><p>"I guess that never occurred to me. Do you ever, you know, hunt Wesen?"</p><p>Lauren paused to consider the question, then said, "Sometimes the authorities get us to deal with the nightmares. There are horrible Wesen out there that you can't prosecute because there's no way to explain the situation in Kehrsite court. How would you explain a Bludbad kidnapping and eating children? How would you explain witnesses seeing a wogued Gelumcaedus tearing somebody's arm off during a bank robbery? How about a Manticore pimping women by woguing and threatening them?"</p><p>"Huh, I never thought of that. So is that like, you know, sanctioned?"</p><p>"Yeah, of course. It's crazy that Wesen all teach their kids about the dangers of Grimms - but the Wesen Council actually coordinates that sort of thing. They almost always use Wesen assassins."</p><p>Sandra stared out the window, and a her mind drifted back. <em>Remember Tyler? He dropped out of high school and started robbing stores, wogued. All the Wesen in town worried about mobs showing up in their yards with pitchforks and torches. Then, one day, three men walked up and shot him, right there, in public. They were never arrested, and everything just returned to normal. Everybody knew it was The Wesen Council. </em>She said, "Huh, I never thought of that. It makes sense. Hey, is there a chance her father wasn't a Grimm at the time."</p><p>"Most Grimm guys Grimm pretty late. Twenty-five to thirty years old is pretty normal. Girls usually Grimm pretty early. Mandy is right on track."</p><p>"Could that be why I didn't know. I wogued to check if they were Wesen or not. Is there any way to, you know, identify a Grimm before they Grimm?"</p><p>"I don't know. Most Grimms don't even know their eyes turn black when Wesen wogue. Anyway, remember that Black Claw thing a few years ago? Their leaders were murdering any Wesen who wouldn't go along. The Authorities brought in a few Grimms to deal with the Black Claw leaders. It just evaporated once the leaders were gone."</p><p>"Those Black Claw guys threatened to kill me because I was married to Misty. We hid Mandy from them. They forced most of the guys in Wook's gym to go along under threat of killing their families."</p><p>"I know. They had no choice. Those Black Claw guys kidnapped Wook's wife and son to force him to join. A lot of good guys got killed because of a few bad guys."</p><p>"I heard they wiped out the entire Wesen Council."</p><p>"They did. They even went after local Wesen Council liaisons and representatives. There was only one guy serving on the original council that escaped. They basically had to re-establish it from scratch."</p><p>Amanda noticed a break in the conversation, and asked, "So, do you chop off Wesen's heads?"</p><p>Sandra turned red, but Lauren simply shrugged, and said, "Yeah, I guess, if I'm forced to."</p><p>Amanda's ears instantly perked up. She picked up Jess, tickled his stomach, and asked, "Do you use a huge axe?"</p><p>"Nah, I use this." Lauren laughed, and slid her short, black, heavily scarred machete out of the sheath on her back. "Have you ever tried carrying an axe under your dress?"</p><p>Sandra looked on, and thought, <em>I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be a joke, but look at that thing. It's got a million miles on it.</em> She found herself leaning away and fidgeting in her chair.</p><p>Lauren noticed Sandra's sudden unease, slid the machete back into it's hidden sheath, and said, "Sorry. My parents were murdered when I was little. Killing a Grimm is sort of a badge of courage among a lot of Wesen, and I can't take any chances with my son."</p><p>Amanda's eyes twinkled. "Mom! Can I have one of those for Christmas?"</p><p>"No!"</p><p>"Aw! Mom!"</p><p>Lauren's expression changed to concern. "Sandra, we probably need to start training Amanda on weapons. I get attacked a lot because I'm a Grimm. Wesen tend to go crazy and she's going to need to defend herself. Trust me. The first time I heard the word 'Grimm' I was ten and a Skalengek was on top of me tearing my shirt off."</p><p>Sandra looked away, closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth. She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, and said, "Misty and I were both raped and molested when we were Mandy's age. That's why I got into Jiujitsu. I swore that would never happen to my Mandy. That's why I always pushed her in martial arts. I know there are a lot of bad guys out there, but still, this is my little girl! I'm not sure I'm ready for that, yet."</p><p>"I understand."</p><p>Amanda grumbled, disappointed.</p><p>Unfortunately, that day came sooner than later.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.5k words 12/2/20 r4<br/>Lauren Cole = Theresa Rubel.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Summer Vacation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Secrets like this don't stay hidden.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 5<br/>Summer vacation</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>"Nothing beats July in northern Michigan!" Sandra's eyes sparkled, daydreaming about their upcoming vacation, home, to her parents' farm. She could already feel the crisp, cool, dry summertime air, see clear, blue sky so bright it hurt your eyes, count ten-thousand stars in the night sky, and smell wood smoke from a campfire. "Mandy, be sure to pack your summer jacket and a couple swim suits for the lake."</p><p>They broke the Grimm news months ago, but Grandma and Grandpa Prentice were undeterred. This was their Mandy, their only grandchild, and they had to see her one more time. Eighth Grade loomed large and they already knew their Granddaughter wouldn't be a girl much longer.</p><p>They finally finished the seemingly endless voyage from Seattle to the farm outside Houghton, Michigan. Grandpa picked up little Mandy and swung her around in a big hug and Grandma kissed her cheeks. Three years between visits felt like an eternity. Skype just wasn't the same.</p><p>Amanda celebrated by kicking off her shoes and walking barefoot through the short, soft, green Michigan grass. Her parents watched her turn a cartwheel in the field and sadly reflected that their little girl was turning into a woman. She still mostly had the trusting innocence, but she was definitely a teenager.</p><p>Sandra's cousin Jackson, "JJ," lived nearby, and planned to take the family out on his boat. He was a full ten years older and his sons were all in their mid to late twenties.</p><p>Amanda stuck out among the Prentice clan as the lone petite, olive skinned, and black curly haired one among them. The Prentices, including all the women, were taller, more heavily built, blonde, and fair skinned. JJ's sons were both six feet tall, athletic, blonde, and handsome.</p><p>The day at the lake was a blast. Amanda's cheerleading trained her for high flying fun like this. She drew a crowd turning endless flips, cartwheels, and high flying stunts off the swimming platform into the crystal clear, cool, blue water. Of course, the boys shot her as high as they could. Sure, they teased her playfully, but Sandra noticed JJ's sons taking a keen interest in Amanda, especially Ronnie, the oldest. Ronnie was twenty seven.</p><p>As the day pushed on and some drinks kicked in, she noticed Ronnie getting more frisky with Amanda. Sandra seated herself next to Ronnie on the boat and made sure his hands stayed off her daughter.</p><p>That night, Sandra insisted on calling it a night early. Everyone was tired from a long day out on the lake. Misty and Sandra stayed up late talking with Grandma and Grandpa while Amanda slept off the fun day.</p><p>The next night, JJ and his family were back over. The family grilled dinner then had a campfire. Amanda especially enjoyed roasting marshmallows in the crisp night air.</p><p>It was well after 11:00 PM, getting late. Sandra, Misty, JJ, and Connie were inside the house helping Grandma and Grandpa clean up</p><p>Suddenly screaming erupted outside. "A Grimm! A Grimm!" A very disheveled Jasper and Abe came running like bats out of hades. "Oh my God! Mandy's a Grimm! She attacked Ronnie!"</p><p>Everybody poured out of the house just in time to see Ronnie stumble out of the barn in Lowen mode. His disoriented look, hands on his neck, and blood streak on his shirt told the story. He reached one confused, bloody, hand out into space, transformed back to Ronnie, and collapsed. JJ and his wife instantly ran to him and started yelling at Sandra and Misty. Sandra and Misty saw something else and bolted straight into the barn. Ronnie's pants were down around his ankles.</p><p>They found Amanda trembling with Ronnie's belt still tightly wrapped around her neck, her mouth bleeding, shirt and pants torn. A dozen purple welts marked her back and another large belt buckle shaped bruise was coming up on her face. Her hands were still bloody.</p><p>JJ stomped through the barn, straight towards Amanda. "I can't believe you brought one of those things here! Into our family's farm no less!"</p><p>Sandra flew up, smashed JJ with a vicious sucker punch, pounded him straight to the ground, then slammed a hard kick into his ribs for good measure. JJ's wife started screaming while Grandma and Grandpa ran in to see what was going on. Momma Lowen Sandra stomped out on the warpath, and she wanted blood.</p><p>Grandma and Grandpa instantly recognized what happened and escorted Misty and Amanda back towards the house.</p><p>JJ's wife and two sons were now standing between Amanda, Misty and the house. The Lowens stared at Misty. Their eyes glowed fiery bright yellow, and their powerful lion jaws bore long white teeth. "So you brought Steinadler dinner and that mixed thing. We're not afraid of a little Grimm are we boys? Jasper, Abe, it's about time we cleaned up this strange family's disgusting mess." JJ's wife eyed Misty.</p><p>Lowen-Sandra furiously stormed up. "Amanda! Kill them!"</p><p>Instantly, Amanda fanged out into Lowen mode, pushed Misty behind her, and stared straight at them. She extended black claws a full inch longer than anyone else there. Her black body fur and olive complexion provided no reflection in the moonlight and her curly mane cloaked her face, leaving simply a nondescript shadow. The effect left them staring at their own Lowen reflections floating in the haze of empty darkness.</p><p>Worry crossed Misty's face as realization soaked in. She stood in the moonlight, black feathers trembling, the lone Steinadler stuck in the middle of a family of snarling, furious Lowens. The only thing standing between herself and them was a thirteen year old girl.</p><p>Now Grandma pushed into the middle of the mix. "This ends! There's been enough killing. I won't lose any more family tonight!"</p><p>Sandra furiously pushed in front of Mandy. "They tried to rape my daughter!"</p><p>JJ's wife screamed, "And that thing killed my son!"</p><p>"Thing! You won't call my daughter a thing!"</p><p>"You and your sick, twisted, weird, strange excuse for a family! What you are doing is wrong!"</p><p>"I'm going to rip your throat out right here in front of your sons! Then I'm going to rip their throats out and end this!"</p><p>"Enough! Stop this right now!" Grandma stood, resolutely, in the middle. "Connie! Shut your mouth! You've already lost one son! If Sandra doesn't kill you The Grimm certainly will!"</p><p>But Connie couldn't shut her mouth. "What you people are doing is WRONG! It's sick, and it's against nature! Maybe that thing of yours needs a man to turn her straight!"</p><p>Grandpa snarled furiously, his long, white teeth bared. "My God, Connie! Can you hear what you're saying? Mandy is my granddaughter!" He pulled his old folding knife out of his pocket and pitched it to Amanda. "Maybe it's time to see what a Grimm can do with a knife!"</p><p>Amanda slowly opened Grandpa's old Buck 110 knife. The heavily worn four inch blade locked open with a solid thunk. She was unfamiliar with knives as weapons, they were simply kitchen tools, but they didn't know that. Moonlight glinted off the old blade in the formless shadow. Her expression changed as something primal clicked deep inside her. Every single person there fidgeted uncomfortably as The Grimm stared her empty, black, soulless eyes into them and unconsciously licked her lips.</p><p>Connie and her sons expected blubbering tears out of a bruised, barely-teenage girl. Instead, they watched as her posture became more aggressive, and an extremely unsettling sharp-toothed smile of anticipation appeared out of the darkness. She actually wanted to fight them. All of them. Now. The Grimm had taken her first Wesen that night. She wasn't shocked, she wanted more.</p><p>Grandpa commanded the group's attention away from Amanda. "We've got a dead twenty seven year old and a thirteen year old girl with belt buckle welts all over her body. We're either going to have to explain how your three twenty something year old boys tried to rape a thirteen year old and one of them ended up dead, or we're going to have to explain an unfortunate farm accident in the barn! Connie, do you really want Jasper and Abe spending the next ten years in jail for aggravated assault and attempted rape on a minor?"</p><p>Sandra pointed straight at JJ's wife, Jasper, and Abe with narrowed, angry eyes. "I'm going to kill you the next time I see you!"</p><p>"Enough!" Sandra's father yelled.</p><p>A furious Sandra packed up everybody and they were already seventy five miles down the road when the ambulance arrived at the farm. Grandma and Grandpa begged them not go, but Sandra was stone faced.</p><p>Sandra called Lauren at 2:30 AM. "We're coming back from vacation early. Text me a list of weapons for Mandy. No, I don't care, I want her training as soon as we get back. They tried to rape her. No, she's ok, just some bruises. I want her ready next time!"</p><p>Misty wanted to protest. Amanda held her own against three twenty-something male Lowen and came out on top. She couldn't shake the look she saw in her daughter's eyes as she held Grandpa's knife. All of them saw it. Even the fearless Lowens became nervous peering into the darkness. All they saw was the empty, icy cold, relentless, creeping death of The Grimm's jet black eyes. She suddenly feared turning her sweet Mandy into a monster. She knew better than to argue at a time like this, though. Blood rage still filled Sandra's eyes. <em>She's just too crazy right now, but we're going to regret this. Best to let </em><em>things blow over. We'll sort </em><em>this out once she calms down and can be rational.</em></p><p>Misty replayed the incident over and over as they drove into the night. <em>Alone in the middle of all those furious Lowen. All those glowing yellow eyes staring at me out of the darkness. The looks on their faces. </em><em>I don't know what I would have done without Mandy. They were going to kill me. I can't believe it, but I am so incredibly </em><em>thankful she's a Grimm! Our Grimm. My Grimm! </em>She remembered the surprise in Connie's face. The woman expected Mandy to back down or turn on her because they were all Lowens and she wasn't.</p><p>Sudden realization worried her. <em>Secrets like this don't stay hidden. It seems like too many people are finding out about us.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.8k words 12/3/20 r5</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The witching hour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A chance meeting brings new revelation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>
Chapter 6<br/>
The witching hour</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few weeks later...</p><p>Adalind was due in Court first thing and nothing was going right. Little Chuck woke up at 3:00AM, Nick's "allnighter" with Hank just passed the 48 hour mark, she burned breakfast, Kelly and Catherine bounced off the walls like jumping beans, and there wasn't a single drop of coffee in the house. To make matters worse, Diana picked this morning to argue with her about every single thing.</p><p>The spice shop door swung open with a welcoming jingle. A loud rip punctuated the early morning quiet. Adalind looked down with a scowl at her torn sleeve, herded four meandering children into the shop, and said, "In in in! Come on, move along!"</p><p>Diana stopped short in the middle of the doorway, turned back around facing her mother, and said, "No mom! I am moving, just not that way!"</p><p>"Go. In. The. Door!" Adalind said as she pushed Diana through the door, exasperated. Her hands overflowed with bags of baby stuff, change clothes, and snacks. The frazzled momma witch passed her wits end fifteen minutes ago and things around her were starting to levitate, and said, "Rosalee, you in here?"</p><p>Rosalee said, "In the back." She gently shook her head, closed her eyes, and touched her forehead, listening to the situation unfold on the other side of the door.</p><p>Adalind grumbled, "We seriously need a nanny!" Rosalee nodded in agreement, just in time for baby Chuck to spit up milk on Adalind's suit. Adalind looked down, groaned, reached for a burp cloth, and said, "I think I'm going to cry! Diana, can you grab my spare pink shirt out of the bag?"</p><p>"Mom! There's no pink shirt in the bag."</p><p>"Diana! That pink shirt in your hand!"</p><p>"No mom! That one is light purple."</p><p>Rosalee discretely slid Mandy's picture into her pocket as she walked out. Three kids galloped past her into the back to catch up with their best friends. She saw the frustration boiling over in Adalind's face, and said, "You ok this morning?"</p><p>Adalind's bad mood combined with exhaustion pushed her over the edge and she unconsciously read Rosalee's mind. Jars levitated up off the counter, and she said, "What do you mean Nick has another daughter? Is he cheating on me?"</p><p>The surprise caught Rosalee and gave her pause. Adalind's friendly, giving demeanor made her forget Hexenbiests could read minds until moments like this.</p><p>The witch rippled across Adalind's face as jars floated and rattled, and she said, "What do you mean it's not like that?"</p><p>"Adalind, Nick's not cheating on you," Rosalee said, "You seem pretty stressed this morning. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"</p><p>"Sorry, absolutely nothing is going right this morning." Adalind said as she took a deep breath, tried to calm down, and telekinetically returned all the jars back to their places. She continued, "I've been dreaming of coffee since 3:00AM, and we're completely out. It's like you read my mind."</p><p>The rich, earthy scent filled the shop as Rosalee poured hot water over coffee grinds. Adalind drummed her fingers and found herself salivating as she watched the steaming liquid dribble into her cup. She inhaled a long whiff and smiled, then savored her first sip. She felt the tension in her shoulders release and the frustration melt away as the hot, savory liquid worked it's magic. A bright smile lit her face, and she said, "I am eternally grateful that your dear, beautiful, Monroe insists on good coffee."</p><p>Rosalee sipped her own cup of coffee, and said, "The girl is thirteen. She was born well before Nick ever met you, or even Grimmed. He doesn't know about her.</p><p>I've known her mother for almost twenty years. She became obsessed with having a baby. She didn't have money for medical procedures, so she took matters into her own hands, and got pregnant. She tried to make sure the men could never find her again. Apparently one of those men was Nick several years before he Grimmed."</p><p>"But how is she sure it's Nick's?"</p><p>"The girl is half Lowen, half Grimm. How many Grimms have you ever met?"</p><p>"Still, that doesn't mean anything." Adalind said, her lawyer sense tingling and buzzing.</p><p>"She kept a file with all the men's internet profiles and pix. Nick was one."</p><p>"So, what's her angle? Is she trying to go after child support, claim paternity, or something?"</p><p>"No, actually the opposite. She tried everything she could come up with so the father could never find out or track her down."</p><p>"Ok then, so why is she reaching out now?"</p><p>"They are a Wesen couple. Imagine their surprise when their daughter Grimmed. They were just looking for some parenting advice from a Grimm. They actually don't want Nick or you to find out. Nick met the girl's other parent but doesn't know it."</p><p>"Oh, why don't they want us to find out?"</p><p>"A Grimm police officer married to a Hexenbiest lawyer? They're Wesen. They are terrified about the two of you murdering them and kidnapping their daughter."</p><p>"Oh." Adalind said. Memories of Diana's kidnapping suddenly flooded her. She lost her breath and gripped the countertop when the powerlessness of having her heart ripped out of her chest washed over her. She closed her eyes, exhaled, steadied herself, and slowly sipped her coffee. She wiped her eyes, and said, "We would never try to take their daughter from them."</p><p>"But you can appreciate their concern."</p><p>"Yes, but now I want to meet this daughter of Nick's. You don't happen to have a pic do you?"</p><p>"It just so happens I do. Her name is Amanda."</p><p>"Wow!" Adalind said. "She does look a lot like Nick's mom and Catherine. I think you're right. This Amanda could well be Nick's daughter."</p><p>A worried look crossed Adalind's face. She snuck her hand onto Rosalee's hand, focused her powers, and said. "Rosalee, your friends are in danger and they don't know it. We need to convince her parents that they need to get to know us. The girl is a Grimm. It's not if somebody comes after them, it's when. We both know they are in danger, both because she's a Grimm, and because she is mixed. How many times were you and Monroe attacked and kidnapped because of just being married? How many times because of us? How many times have we been attacked and kidnapped? What if the Wesenrein goes after them like they went after you? What if The Royals crank up their shenanigans to kidnap Amanda to get themselves a Grimm again?"</p><p>Rosalee gently pulled her hand away. She wasn't expecting Adalind to witch her like this. She didn't understand why Adalind would bother. She felt like she had been thinking exactly the same thing for months, and said, "I agree. We just need to be sensitive to their situation. Misty and Sandra are extremely gun shy as you can imagine. They know several families who lost their children to situations like this."</p><p>Rosalee's revelation slowly sank in, and Adalind thought, <em>Nick has a teenage daughter by a lesbian couple? I guess they're adults.</em> She shrugged, and thought, <em>Nick and I have </em><em>been married almost two years and Nick's mom still doesn't approve of our "lifestyle choice." I'm sure my own mother has rolled over in her grave half a dozen times since we reburied her.</em></p><p>Rosalee touched Adalind's hand, and said, "Please don't tell Nick. Sandra and Misty begged me not to tell him."</p><p>Adalind disliked keeping things from Nick, especially things like this. She learned that lesson in the Black Claw debacle, and it nearly cost her dearly. For now, though, she decided to try for the sake of her friendship with Rosalee, and Rosalee's friendship with the girl's family.</p><p><em>A half-Lowen daughter, </em>she thought to herself, <em>I wonder what she's like</em>. She was sure that they would come up with a plan to meet the girl and her parents.</p><p>-/-/-</p><p>A few days later, Adalind found Diana coloring a picture of an olive skinned girl with dark curly hair, feline features, claws, sharp fangs, and black eyes. Diana asked, "Mom, do we have another sister?"</p><p>"Well honey, you might. We don't really know."</p><p>Diana flashed her eyes purple, and said, "We should go see the baby otters."</p><p>"Baby otters? Where?"</p><p>"At the zoo." Diana pointed at the TV. A Seattle Aquarium ad featured cute new baby otters.</p><p>Adalind scratched her head. <em>I'm never totally sure with Diana. It could just be something she saw on TV, or she might be frontrunning the entire universe again.</em> She asked, "Honey, is she going to be there?"</p><p>"Yes," Diana replied with a bright smile. "Tomorrow."</p><p>Luckily, tomorrow was Saturday...</p><p>-/-/-</p><p>Nick finally finished packing the car for the trip to the Seattle Aquarium. Adalind fretted over how to break today's mission to her husband. His phone rang the instant he settled into the driver's seat. He rolled his eyes, grumbled, gave her a kiss, and said, "Hank says we have a body. I promise, I'll go with you next time."</p><p>Adalind suddenly found herself relieved. <em>That worked itself out nicely. </em></p><p>She headed out for the aquarium while Nick headed to the scene.</p><p>She didn't cherish chasing four kids through the Seattle Aquarium by herself, but she was on a mission. At least kid friendly curiosities filled The Aquarium and provided lots of adventure for little ones to explore.</p><p>Four kids reached elbow deep into the cold, salty water of the "tide pool" exhibits. Giggling, they handled live critters, crabs, and sea urchins. Of course little Chuck was jealous of everybody else catching squirmy, creepy things.</p><p>The bathroom soon called the little ones. Adalind left Kelly with Diana while she took care of Catherine and Chuck. She returned to find Diana and Kelly chattering away with a petite, dark haired teenager. The girl told them all about the different animals they handled, and even helped Kelly catch a hermit crab.</p><p>Diana watched her mother walking back, and asked, "Mom, can I go see the baby otters with my friend?"</p><p>"Oh, so you already made a new friend?"</p><p>Diana flashed her eyes purple, and said, "Yep, her name is Amanda."</p><p>"Ok, just stay close so I can see you."</p><p>"Ok Mom." Zoom, off they ran to see the baby otters.</p><p>Adalind smirked. <em>Well, that was easy.</em></p><p>She watched as Amanda introduced Diana to two women, and pointed back towards the three of them. <em>Hmmm, the blonde haired one looks Lowen, I'm guessing that's her mother Sandra. The other one must be Misty?</em></p><p>Catherine complained about the water she splashed water on her shirt while Adalind released the hermit crab Kelly tried to sneak into his pocket. She said, "Look kids, it's story time." Adalind collected the kids and herded them towards Ocean Storytime. The storyteller smiled as Catherine and Kelly interrupted her with endless questions.</p><p>Kelly couldn't wait for otter feeding time. He ran over and pressed his nose against the cold glass in anticipation. He grumbled as Chuck and Catherine pulled and tugged to get their own view. Otter lunch made the kids hungry for their own lunch. She herded them into some seats just in time for Diana and her new friend to bounce back over.</p><p>"Mom, this is Amanda," Diana joyfully exclaimed, "She has two Moms too."</p><p>Adalind laughed, and said, "Good to meet you, Amanda." She took the opportunity to sense the girl when they shook hands. <em>Well, she's definitely Nick's daughter. Her blood doesn't lie.</em></p><p>Amanda laughed as four children chattered at her simultaneously. Diana asked her questions about school, Kelly told her about otters and fish, Catherine told her about the birds, and Chuck, not one to be left out, pointed and babbled.</p><p>Sandra and Mindy found their way over, introduced themselves, and laughed at the three-ring circus surrounding their daughter.</p><p>Soon, five famished kids joyfully devoured hot dogs and pizza while parents chatted over salad. Adalind watched Misty suddenly recognize the uncanny resemblance between Catherine and her own daughter. Panic started to cross Misty's face as she realized who she ate lunch with. Diana brushed her hand on Misty while coming back from a drink refill. "It's ok," Diana whispered, "She's our sister." Misty's eyes slightly glazed over, the worry evaporated, and she smiled.</p><p>Adalind saw it coming as Misty leaned over towards Sandra. The witch intensely focused her powers as she watched Misty whisper, "This is the Grimm's wife and kids."</p><p>Panic welled up within Sandra, but Adalind's hand already touched her hand. Sandra's eyes glazed over lightly as Adalind quietly said, "It's so good to finally meet you. We've been looking forward to this. Don't worry, we would never try to hurt you or take your daughter."</p><p>While Adalind left all the spells and potions to Rosalee, witching and manipulation was literally her day job.</p><p>Sandra's panic that The Grimm's Hexenbiest wife tracked them down turned to happiness at connecting with the rest of Amanda's family. <em>They seem so normal and friendly, the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Then again, so is Mandy, she's nothing like I expected a Grimm to be. </em>She felt like she had been wanting to meet his family for months now and wondered to herself why it had taken so long.</p><p>Soon they were smiling and chatting like old friends. Adalind couldn't shake the feeling of trouble brewing. <em>Maybe I'm just paranoid because of our experience. Wesen, Royals, people trying to kidnap Diana and the kids, blood purity nuts, the devil, people who hate Hexenbiests, Grimms, lawyers, and cops. It </em><em>just never ends. </em></p><p>Whatever it was, she couldn't shake it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.4k words 12/4/20 r4</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Unboxing day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The brown truck of joy brings good tidings.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 7<br/>Unboxing day</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda's ears perked up at the distinctive timber of a delivery truck's engine decelerating to a stop. She jumped up from her Algebra summer math, peeked through the drapes, eagerly, and caught a glimpse. <em>The brown truck of joy!</em></p><p>The sunlight illuminated her crystal clear blue eyes as she watched the uniformed deliveryman stand up, stretch, and walk into the back of his truck. An eternity later, he looked at his paperwork, and then at their yellow trimmed house. She watched him slowly step out of the truck, amble across the street, down the paved walkway, up the stairs, and set a brown package on the welcome mat. He pushed the doorbell, turned around, and walked back to the truck.</p><p>Amanda ran out the door, snatched the plain cardboard box, and zoomed into the kitchen. She grinned at her mother, shook it next to her ear, and inhaled a long whiff. "Mmmm! Treasure!"</p><p>Blonde haired Sandra chuckled at her antics.</p><p>"Mom?" Her blue eyes twinkled as she gingerly twirled the box between two fingers.</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Mom! Seriously!" She whined, and turned on her heels about to stomp.</p><p>"With Lauren. I want you supervised."</p><p>"But Mom! You're right here!"</p><p>"Don't but me. She's a Grimm. She knows what to do with those things."</p><p>"Can we go now?"</p><p>Sandra looked out the window at the bright afternoon sun, then at the clock. 3:30PM. She chuckled, raised her eyebrows, then gently tousled Mandy's dark brown hair, and said, "Really? Right now?"</p><p>"Mom?" Amanda drew out the word into a long whine.</p><p>"Finish your summer math and reading, practice your cheerleading moves, then do your PT and shadowboxing for MMA. We'll see if she's home after dinner."</p><p>Amanda surreptitiously picked up the box and slinked off, towards her room.</p><p>"Mandy?"</p><p>"Yes mom."</p><p>Sandra raised her eyebrows and looked at the box.</p><p>"Mom!" She whined.</p><p>"It'll be fine right here on the counter, I promise." She chuckled as her daughter trudged down the hall to finish her work.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few hours later..</p><p>Amanda's eyes glittered as she twirled the cardboard box between two fingers.</p><p>Lauren laughed, and said, "Ok, fine, your Mom said you could open it."</p><p>She wogued into Lowen mode, extended one long razor sharp claw, and slit the large box open.</p><p>Lauren laughed at the spectacle as bright faced Amanda carefully lifted one small, colorful box out, then a second, and a third. She carefully separated a baggie containing a black rubber knife, then a second. Finally a larger bag containing a black, sheathed machete. She lined up all the boxes and bags on the black-rimmed glass top kitchen table next to Jess's stuffed animals, a yellow package of wipes, and jars of baby food.</p><p>Amanda paused with a silly grin, popped several bubble wrap bubbles between her tiny, slender fingers, and chuckled. Lauren couldn't help herself, and popped several herself. Jess toddled over and climbed up into Amanda's lap. He curiously reached a chubby hand up and touched her shiny, black, curly hair. He noticed the bubble wrap popping and stared. She slowly squeezed one plastic bubble in front of him until it popped. he chuckled and clapped. She popped a second one for him. He picked up a sheet, squeezed a bubble in his chubby fingers, shook it, and babbled.</p><p>Amanda carefully slid the matte black automatic knives out of their colorful boxes and set them in a line. Next came the rubber knives. Finally, she slid the short 12" machete out of it's black scabbard, gently handled it, and said, "Cool!"</p><p>Young blonde haired Jess happily pushed the empty cardboard box around on the beige pattern linoleum kitchen floor and made car noises. He finally climbed in and rolled around inside it. Lauren set her LC monogrammed, pink stripe, baby bags next to Jess's plush stuffed animal toys on the kitchen table, alongside the half-dozen black automatic knifes and two dark rubber training knives.</p><p>Petite Amanda, in her pink unicorn tee shirt, bluejeans, and white tennis shoes, licked her lips, sighting down the non-reflective black machete in her left hand. Taller, athletic, Lauren, in her light purple Xander Adhesives company polo shirt and form fitting beige pants, flicked the button on a rubber gripped automatic knife and watched the jet black blade flash out with a muffled clunk. She said, "Sweet! Mom got you the good ones! Hey, you want try that out?"</p><p>Amanda's eyes twinkled.</p><p>Jess toddled over, holding a black rubber knife in his hand, and said, "Knife!" Amanda scooped him up with a smile while Lauren set up a water-soaked roll of newspaper for machete practice.</p><p>Amanda said, "Now where did you find that? You're all Grimm aren't you buddy."</p><p>"Ready?" Lauren asked with a twinkle in her eye. "Like this."</p><p>She swung her machete at the vertical roll. A sharp metallic clink cut the quiet of the room. A nine-inch tall section barely twisted sideways, slid over one-quarter inch, and stopped, standing straight up on top on the longer roll. Lauren swung a second time, in the opposite direction, slicing through the now-separate top section. The two wet newspaper rounds slowly tottered, and slid off the larger roll, and landed with a "splat" into a pile on the linoleum floor.</p><p>Lauren winked at Amanda and stepped out of the way.</p><p>Amanda smiled, and swung her machete with gusto. A dull thwack rocked the roll as her machete squished then bounced off. She looked at it, rubbed the edge, and scowled.</p><p>"Dull?"</p><p>Amanda grumped.</p><p>Lauren chuckled, and said, "First Grimm lesson young paduan - always sharpen you must."</p><p>Amanda exhaled a low sigh, looked down at the dull edge, paused, then looked back up, and asked, "Can I try yours?"</p><p>Lauren handed Amanda her machete. She gently brushed a finger on the edge, then smiled. She squared her shoulders, planted her feet, and swung. Lauren's machete dug halfway in and stopped. She looked at it, frowned, then started levering it and pushing to disgorge it.</p><p>Lauren chuckled, and said, "Watch." She swung again. One quick looping motion of the machete made two clink sounds, two more rolled sections slid off onto the floor with a splat, and she handed it back to Amanda.</p><p>Amanda swung again, harder. The machete buried itself into the roll, solidly stuck a second time. She looked at Lauren, disappointed, and said, "What am I doing wrong?"</p><p>"Here, I'll show you." She said, and slowly walked Amanda through an exercise. "Try like this."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few weeks later.</p><p>Amanda, dressed in her blue and white skirt middle school uniform, walked in the door with a smile and dumped a backpack full of empty plastic bottles into the sink. She started filling them up, one at a time, and screwing the lids on. She ran upstairs. Misty looked at Sandra, rolled her eyes, slurped her coffee, and said, "I guess it's good we have a privacy fence."</p><p>Soon, quiet, regular, monotonic, metallic grating of a stone on steel filtered down the stairs.</p><p>Sandra, peeling potatoes over a white plastic cutting board, looked away for a second and hollered towards the stairs, "Mandy, change into your play clothes. Don't get that on your school clothes."</p><p>"Ok Mom," echoed down the stairs.</p><p>Sandra grimaced, looked down, then scowled. She laid a kitchen knife and a bloody potato in the sink, stuck her left thumb into her mouth, and quickly tore off a sheet of paper towel.</p><p>Misty chuckled, looked down at several bandaged fingers, and said, "At least the kitchen knives are sharp."</p><p>Sandra held up her right hand and wiggled two bandaged fingers while she nursed her thumb.</p><p>Amanda ran back down with her machete slung across her back. Misty stopped her, and said, "Honey, remember to get your newspapers out of the car."</p><p>"Ok Mom." Amanda threw on a gray hoodie, scooped up the stack of water bottles, and ran out back.</p><p>Sandra bandaged her thumb, resumed prepping ingredients for dinner, and said, "Life with a Grimm, I guess."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Meanwhile, in a suburban red brick house outside Houghton, Michigan...</p><p>JJ Prentice angrily stood up from the oak kitchen table. He rubbed a large, square, hand through his short blonde hair, and said, "Don't do this. You're crazy!"</p><p>"And you're a coward!" Blonde haired Connie's expression betrayed open disgust, her eyes glowed yellow with anger. She stood up straight, arms crossed, back against the yellowish granite countertop, and said, "That thing murdered our son!"</p><p>"And that 'thing' has a father, who's a Grimm!" He stared back at her, eyes glowing bright yellow against the sunlight dappled kitchen, and said, "What happens when he finds out?"</p><p>"He will probably help us deal with that mixed up abomination, and her weird excuse for family."</p><p>"I doubt it, especially when he finds out that our Wesen son tried to rape his thirteen year old daughter."</p><p>She stared at him, then transformed into a tawny Lowen. She snarled sharp white fangs at him, and said. "You're weak! Soft! You don't want to do the right thing by your family!"</p><p>"I AM doing the right thing by my family!" He transformed into Lowen mode, towering over her shorter stature. He snarled and yelled, "I'm not the one hell bent on bringing the axe on my own family!"</p><p>"Nobody around here is scared of a Grimm. We haven't even seen a Grimm in years."</p><p>"Until July! Look how that went."</p><p>"They are gone."</p><p>"They aren't 'gone,' they left! And now, a Grimm knows where we live."</p><p>"So we kill her, and this Grimm father of hers, if he doesn't go along with us."</p><p>"Listen to yourself! A Grimm going along 'with us' to kill his own daughter? Really? More likely he hunts us down, murders us, and our kids. Your parents? My parents! Our whole Wesen community?"</p><p>"I've got a plan!"</p><p>"A plan? You're going to get us all killed! That's what you're going to do!" JJ said as he stomped out, slammed the brown oak door behind him, got into his white full-size pickup truck, and drove off.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.7k words 12/5/20 r3<br/>Lauren Cole = Theresa Rubel</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The sleepover</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sisters have a super fun sleepover and a new danger lurks on the horizon.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Ch.8<br/>Sleepover</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A shadowy mound of dark curly hair, pulled back into a pony tail, slowly poked out the doorway into the dark hallway. A set of clear blue eyes furtively scanned back and forth. A petite shadow gingerly crept out. It paused beside an open door, looked, and listened to the sound of heavy, regular breathing. A low creak, a shuffle, and the rustle of blankets broke the silence. The tiny blurred figure froze against the wall inside a dark shadow, listened for the noises to settle back to the sounds of sleep, then carefully slid by. It silently slinked down the stairs, hanging within each dark shadow, and finally darted behind the green fabric trimmed couch in the living room, lit only by the dim glow of a digital clock.</p><p>A short thirty seconds later, the appliances in the kitchen flickered as a very low, subtle, pink glow materialized. The fluorescent lamps gently flashed as a glowing shadow slowly crept towards the doorway and hid beside the fridge.</p><p>The shadow of a small hand with slender fingers waved, beckoning, at the glow. The glowing apparition of a little blonde haired girl wearing soft purple dinosaur pajamas darted through the wall, into the living room, and crouched down next to the couch. The TV, cable box, and DVD player all flickered quietly when the ghost snuck through the living room. A hushed giggle erupted.</p><p>They gave the other a quick hug. "Hey sis! This is going to be so much fun!"</p><p>"Mandy, what do you want to do?" The little blonde haired spirit step-sister whispered and sat down cross legged.</p><p>The pink heart pajama clad thirteen year old shadow smiled and admired the gentle glow that now lit the room. "Let's build a blanket fort."</p><p>The step sisters silently moved wooden chairs around in the living room lit only by Diana's ghostly luminance, then draped a selectable-holiday quilt, a red throw, and several fall themed blankets over them. The shadows crept back into their normal nighttime haunts, save for a single sliver of pink radiance escaping through folds joining the blankets.</p><p>The two girls looked at each other and silently chuckled.</p><p>"Ooh! I know, wait here."</p><p>Amanda silently darted out and dug up some supplies: a mixing bowl, glitter school glue, baking soda, and contact lens saline. She soon crept back into the blanket fort a few minutes later without making a sound.</p><p>The glowing apparition smiled and giggled, then poured some glue into the bowl, followed by a shake of powdery baking soda, and a squirt of saline. Glowing ghost fingers reached into the bowl and kneaded, then squirted a bit more saline in, and kneaded some more. She winked at Mandy and nodded. Mandy followed suit.</p><p>Soon, they stretched, squished, and molded their soft, colorful, science project inside the safety of their fort. The silence was cut by quiet burps, squishing sounds, and hushed snickering. Diana's glow revealed purple glitter slime squishing between her fingers. Mandy giggled while she kneaded her orange glitter slime.</p><p>Next Mandy slid a tablet out of it's secret hiding place in the couch and clicked a picture of Diana sticking her tongue out. The girls snickered and teased as they manipulated the picture of the eerily glowing girl with cat ears, large googly eyes, a silly smile full of huge teeth, and finally a curly mustache and beard. Diana snapped a picture of Mandy and they similarly manipulated it with rabbit ears, a lion's mane, alien eyes, Mohawk hair, and finally also a square, hairy mustache and beard. They each took turns making several silly pictures of each other.</p><p>"Can we paint our nails?" Diana asked with a grin.</p><p>"Great idea!" Mandy vanished then returned several minutes later with a pink heart shaped zipper box filled with nail polish, wipes, and nail polish remover. Diana wanted to paint each one of her nails a different color. They looked down at glowing fingers tipped with Pink glitter, black, bright red, orange, bright sunny yellow, lime green, burgundy, dark purple, white, and dark forest green.</p><p>She giggled, "I changed my mind. Watch this." She relaxed her face and gently shook her iridescent hands. Ten perfectly nail-shaped flakes of shiny fingernail polish fell off and fluttered to the floor. Mandy picked one up, stared for a second, then giggled.</p><p>"Mine aren't as easy."</p><p>"Have you ever painted your claws?"</p><p>"Yes! Lets." Mandy giggled at the idea, wogued into Lowen/Grimm mode, and extended ten black, shiny, razor sharp, hooked claws out of the ends of her fingers. She smiled at Diana through her now-feline monster-girl features.</p><p>"What color do you want?"</p><p>"Pink!"</p><p>They laughed and painted her claws bright pink. They took an extra five minutes to dry, but Mandy giggled as she extended and retracted pink claws out of her fingers. She tried woguing in and out of Lowen mode, and the pink nail polish remained.</p><p>Next they snuck out the door into the fenced back yard. The street lights flickered when Diana stepped out the glass sliding door into the yard. Mandy turned a cartwheel, then coached Diana through several tries.</p><p>They snuck back under the blanket fort, found some internet videos of cats, penguins, dogs, cutting squishy toys, and finally people falling. Ghost Diana yawned. The contagious yawn spread to Mandy, who couldn't resist. Diana leaned her head back on a small, tan, square, pillow with a turkey decoration on it. Mandy laid her head on a rectangular orange harvest time pillow. The girls pulled a blanket over themselves while they watched kittens and puppies play.</p><p>"Do you want to come over to my place next time?"</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"I'll come get you."</p><p>"You can do that?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Yay!"</p><p>Mandy yawned again and the yawn spread to Diana. Their eyes grew heavy. The warmth of the blanket and the quiet of the fort made staying awake extra difficult. The girls slowly nodded off. Diana's form gently flickered, and disappeared. The blanket covering the now-empty space slowly rumpled down and laid on the floor. Mandy rolled over, hugged the extra pillow, and silently slept.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Dappled morning sun started to creep in the windows when Sandra came down the stairs and saw the blanket fort set up in the living room. She walked into the kitchen, and stared at flashing electronics and blinking touch pads. She scratched pink tipped fingers through her long blonde hair, shrugged, and started fixing a pot of coffee.</p><p>She heard a quiet rustle behind her, turned, and looked, to find the blankets neatly folded and returned to their places. She poured a cup of coffee, heard another quiet shuffle, and noticed all the chairs were back in their places.</p><p>She walked out, surveyed the living room, sat down on the couch, and clicked on the morning news. She chuckled silently, <em>Kids</em>.</p><p>She felt something hard poking her leg. She wrinkled her forehead, slid a hand down into the cushions, and recovered a bright pink tablet decorated with small hearts. She opened it up and paged through mustached daughters and bunny-eared ghosts, tall hair, cat whiskers, and big goggly eyes. She silently giggled watching videos of her daughter wrinkling her brow and scratching her head, trying to put a hand against an upside down, long legged, blonde haired ghost wobbling and swaying on uncertain hands. The ghost grimaced as she kicked her legs over not-so-gracefully, tipped over sideways, and flopped straight through the privacy fence. Mandy scratched her head, staring at the fence slats before hoisting herself up and peering over at the glow next door.</p><p>She caught the shadow of a pink blur behind her. "Mandy?"</p><p>"Yes mom," quietly echoed out of the kitchen.</p><p>Sandra reached down and curiously peered at a bright yellow flake of fingernail polish that looked exactly like a painted fingernail. "Did you have fun last night with your sister Diana?"</p><p>There was a long pause, the toaster popped up, then Mandy bounced back in and plopped down on the couch next to her with a blueberry freezer waffle in hand. "Yes!"</p><p>Sandra chuckled, <em>Life with a Grimm.</em></p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>An antique, ebony handled phone sitting on top of an exquisite Brazilian Rosewood and ebony Louis XIV desk rang three times in quick succession. A slender man in a dark suit picked up the phone and laid it into the long, feminine, fingers of a well manicured hand. He looked at the woman, and said, "Your highness."</p><p>A blur of red fingernails flicked twice. He nodded, turned, and walked out of the room. Heavy, carved, Turkish walnut doors swung silently shut and their ancient locks clicked.</p><p>She brought the polished ebony receiver to her red lips, and said, "A Grimm? Yes, perhaps. Tell me more."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.5k words 11/15/20 r4</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Consolation prize</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda helps cheer up a friend after a rough day.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 9<br/>Consolation Prize</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Lauren Cole winced and gently laid her forehead against her red metal apartment front door. She slowly exhaled and wiped tears out of her red eyes as she looked down at her watch. She paused, key touching the lock for a full minute, eyes closed, before breathing in through her nose and exhaling slowly out through her mouth. She slowly opened her eyes, stood up straight, wiped her eyes one more time, and finally slid the key it into the lock.</p><p>Her son Jess's eyes popped open wide. He jumped up out of Amanda's lap, ran across the apartment, and wrapped his arms tightly around her legs. He looked up with a bright smile, "Mommy!"</p><p>She scooped her blue eyed, blonde haired toddler up in a big hug and kissed his fat cheeks. "Have you been a good boy for Mandy?" Jess laughed and chattered at her.</p><p>"Everything OK?" Amanda glanced her face and then at the clock on the microwave - 8:19 PM.</p><p>"Apparently, I'm not the sort of girl a guy brings home to Mom." Lauren kicked off a pair of black high heels and trudged into the bathroom. She stared into the gold trimmed mirror and exhaled heavily, paused, found a package of wipes, and started removing glittery eye shadow and dusky red lipstick.</p><p>"Was he Wesen?" Amanda watched Jess stuff a little panda into a yellow toy truck and roll it past her feet.</p><p>"Pfichttreue." Lauren wiped blush off her left cheek, looked down at the wipe, sighed, then continued to her right cheek.</p><p>"Do you like super hairy guys like that?"</p><p>Lauren paused, though for a minute, then laughed.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Lowens aren't hairy?"</p><p>"We're not fuzzy like that. I don't know how I would kiss a guy who's that, I mean, doesn't it get in your nose?"</p><p>Lauren simply raised one eyebrow and chuckled at the thirteen year old.</p><p>Amanda turned Jess back away from running the truck into the bathroom towards his mother's toes while she wiped glittery powder off her face and chest.</p><p>Lauren sighed a long, plaintive, sigh and walked out towards the kitchen. "Pearson said there's no way he was going to let me meet his parents. Ever!" She lifted her foot up as Jess zoomed his truck under it. "And I'm pretty sure I killed his brother last year."</p><p>"Awkward."</p><p>Lauren shrugged and opened the freezer. A single frozen pizza greeted her hopeful gaze. She slowly closed the freezer, exhaled, and silently shook her head. She rummaged around in a bag on the counter, found the fresh package of makeup wipes, and slowly walked back into the bathroom.</p><p>"Don't take it personally, my grandparents are still weird around me since they found out I'm a Grimm. I know they try to hide it, but I can tell they're really nervous." Amanda used her foot to roll Jess's yellow truck back out from under the high chair at the table. He laughed and shoved it back under the chair.</p><p><em>So you're getting your dating advice from a thirteen year old? </em>Lauren looked down at her makeup wipe and sighed again. "So what was it like, you know, fanging out and Grimming? Did it all happen at once?"</p><p>"No, I Grimmed a couple months after I fanged out. We're Wesen, so everybody was anxious and constantly pestering me about me fanging out. They were worried I would turn out Kehrsite."</p><p>"Imagine their surprise when you Grimmed."</p><p>"Surprise isn't the right word for it."</p><p>Lauren laughed out loud, and said, "Pretty rough, eh? Welcome to life as a Grimm."</p><p>Mandy winked, smiled a mischievous smile, and said, "I know what will make you feel better."</p><p>Lauren raised her eyebrows.</p><p>Mandy held up a sheathed machete, wiggled it side to side, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. Lauren's eyes brightened and her frown evaporated. "Heck yeah! You want to come with?"</p><p>"I thought you would never ask!" Mandy scooped up the baby bags while Lauren put on her black leather jacket and wrangled Jess. The door slowly closed and locked behind them.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A metal door in a dark alley opened up, revealing dim neon lights. Derek "Big D" Spencer stepped out, walked over to a dumpster, and lit a cigarette. A woman with garish blue hair, a skin tight halter top, a pink fake-leather skirt, and four-inch high heels came up to him and pointed at the rain. He yelled at her, stuck a finger in her face, and slapped her. He turned, looked around, and wogued. His face flattened and filled with thick, smooth, striped black hair. Sharp teeth and long whiskers popped out of his feline face. Black hair broken by yellow stripes covered the body of the Balaam puma Wesen monster.</p><p>He snarled sharp fangs, grabbed her face and gingerly brushed black claws on her cheeks. She cowered, begged, and cried, then apologized. He pointed a claw straight at her eye. She sheepishly turned, and walked back out through the spitting rain to the front of the bar.</p><p>A lone streetlight at the opposite end of the alley flickered once then turned back on, shining it's orange yellow light onto the wet road. Derek finished his cigarette and flicked it across the alley, showering tiny orange sparks into the darkness. He stepped back towards the door, put his hand on it, and stopped.</p><p>The outline of a small figure turned into the alley. He looked up at it, then at the spitting rain. A petite girl, wearing a wet, gray Franklin High School Marching Band hoodie, sweats, and tennis shoes, wandered down the alley. She stopped, looked up at the rain, then started turning to leave the alley. Derek smiled, revealing a single gold tooth. "Hey, sweet thing, you look lost."</p><p>"No, just heading home." She looked around as if bewildered.</p><p>"FHS - that's in Portland. You new here?"</p><p>She grumbled under her breath, looked down, and said, "No, I'm fine, I think I got turned around."</p><p>"Where you headed?"</p><p>"Northgate."</p><p>"You definitely got turned around. That's five miles from here."</p><p>"Which way?"</p><p>He pointed into the darkness past the dumpster.</p><p>She groaned and looked down at the rain spitting on the wet asphalt pavement.</p><p>"What do you play?"</p><p>"Flute."</p><p>He smiled, "My girlfriend played flute at TCS. Let me give you a ride home. It's dangerous out here. Come on, It's no problem." He smiled a bright smile, and brushed his short, curly, blonde hair away from his brown eyes.</p><p>"Mom says I'm not supposed to." She looked down, away from his face, then turned, walking away.</p><p>"It's cold and the rain is picking up. I'll take you straight home. My SUV is right around the corner. I promise."</p><p>Her hood and shoulders were already dark from rain. She paused as heavier drops of rain plopped against her sleeves. She looked up at the rain, groaned, then back towards him. "Well, ok, I guess. I just need to call my Mom."</p><p>"Absolutely. I bet she's worried sick."</p><p>"She'll kill me if I get another phone wet."</p><p>The rain picked up faster. She wiped her wet hand on her pants and stuck it in her pocket. Her legs shifted side to side, audibly squishing water in her shoes.</p><p>"Come on," he said, and started walking out of the alley towards his car. "You're already soaked."</p><p>She turned as he walked past. "Well, ok."</p><p>He politely escorted her around the corner to an expensive black SUV, opened the door, and gently put her in. He walked around, smiled, licked his lips, and got in a few seconds before the rain washed over it.</p><p>The SUV rocked violently, and a silent, white flash inside lit the deeply tinted windows. A minute later, the petite gray figure opened the door, stepped out, and disappeared into the shadows.</p><p>Lauren instantly met her and spoke in a hushed tone. "You ok?"</p><p>"Yep." Mandy's eyes glittered, she opened her mouth, pursed her lips, then closed it. She tried to look as normal as possible. Her head pulled back into the darkest recesses of the wet gray hoodie, and her shoulders hunched against the rain. She forced herself not to skip four different times on the way to Lauren's car. She found herself having to stop and wait on Lauren. An eternity later, she climbed up into passenger seat and shut the car door. Finally, the tidal wave poured out. She chattered 100 miles an hour as she slid the wet hood back off her blood splattered face.</p><p>Lauren laughed and handed her a pack of baby wipes. Mandy looked at Lauren, heaved a huge breath in and out, and tried to calm her excitement. Mandy's rubber gloved hands pulled out a wallet, a huge folded wad of cash, and two cellphones. She passed them to Lauren. Finally she pulled off the sweat shirt, stuffed it into a bag, and threw on a clean one. Lauren smiled. "Good job, you remembered."</p><p>Lauren slid one cellphone into her pocket. She smashed the other and quickly removed the SIM card. She pulled all the cash out of the wallet, put it with the wad of cash, and dumped everything else into an empty paper fast food baggie with the broken phone.</p><p>Lauren's white SUV slowly rolled away. They got milk shakes, and returned to Lauren's place. Lauren said, "You did great. How do you feel?"</p><p>"Can we go again tomorrow?"</p><p>Lauren sighed, "No." She washed the blood off of her machete in the sink and inspected it's edge.</p><p>"But!" Mandy looked at her with a sad look as she scrubbed her black automatic knife in hot soapy water. "There are a lot of horrible scum bags out there."</p><p>"The cops are probably already on the scene investigating."</p><p>"So? Isn't this for the Wesen Council?"</p><p>"Seattle isn't Chicago or LA. We only have like 35 murders a year here. The authorities will start asking questions."</p><p>"But!"</p><p>"But, the Wesen Council won't help when you get caught. I bet your cheerleading coach would be impressed if she saw your picture in the paper. Look at it on the bright side, you just made a huge pile of cash that your parents can never find out about."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Smell." Lauren tossed her Big D's huge roll of cash.</p><p>"Ugh!" Mandy's face grimaced as she instinctively shoved it back towards Lauren. "Oh my gosh! Seriously? I just took a shower!"</p><p>"Your mom probably won't notice."</p><p>Mandy frowned and scrubbed her hands with clean wipes, smelled her hands, wrinkled her nose, then scrubbed them again.</p><p>She's an accountant, right? I bet she certainly won't ask where a fifteen thousand dollar Wesen Council bank deposit came from. It's not like we can just go tell her what we did tonight."</p><p>Mandy grumped and then sighed a deep sigh as realization set in.</p><p>"Don't worry, I already set up a bank account in your name for your 'College fund.'"</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Connie Prentice stared at the door of the empty coffee shop from her round, four-seat table in the back. She looked down at her watch and drummed pink fingernails on the table. She reached into her purse, took out a pink metallic cellphone, stared at it's blank screen, drummed her fingers on the table again, and fidgeted in her seat before looking back at the door. She swirled her coffee cup slowly, took a sip, scowled, then stared down into the empty cup. She started to get up, looked at her watch, and sat back down.</p><p>She jerked her head up as the door swung open. A quiet beep sounded behind the counter and the clerk greeted two dark haired men in dark gray suits. She watched them order a cup of coffee and sit at a table halfway across from her. She sighed audibly and slouched her shoulders as one of the men checked his phone, then sent a quick text.</p><p>A few minutes later, two more dark haired men in dark gray suits walked in, ordered cups of coffee, and sat down between herself and the door.</p><p>Finally, another man in a dark gray suit, this time blonde haired, opened the door for a tall, attractive, brown haired woman who appeared to be around twenty five years old. He escorted the black Armani suit clad woman in. She stood silently, one hand cradling a matching black Gucci handbag, and slowly surveyed the coffee house, starting at the left and ending at the right side.</p><p>She looked at Connie through steel blue eyes, smiled, purposefully walked over, and stuck out a hand. "Connie Prentice?"</p><p>"Yes." Connie politely stood up and shook her hand.</p><p>"Good to finally meet you. I believe we have some business to discuss."</p><p>Connie smiled through bright red lips. "Yes, I understand you may be in the market for a Grimm."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.2k words 11/20/20 r1<br/>Lauren Cole = Theresa Rubel</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Movie night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda visits the Burkhardts</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 10<br/>Movie Night</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Adalind looked at the snacks spread out on the table, cold drinks in the fridge, and a stack of soft, fluffy, blankets folded and ready on the brown leather couches. She stretched out in a white fleece long sleeve shirt and matching soft pajama pants.</p><p>Nick slid the door open from the bedroom and stepped out in matching white fleece pajama outfit and fuzzy house shoes. "This is going to be so much fun. We haven't done movie night, in, Hmmm." He scratched his close cropped beard. "Ever I guess."</p><p>Nick turned and corralled thirteen-month old Chuck. He scooped up the blonde haired toddler and bounced him on his lap in the couch. The boy laughed and rubbed a chubby hand on his father's beard.</p><p>Adalind smiled and was about to say something when Diana bounced in. "Mom, I'm going to go get Mandy now."</p><p>"Make sure you tell her Mom."</p><p>Diana sat down on the couch next to Nick, closed her eyes, and relaxed. Soon, all the lights and appliances in the heavy concrete, converted paint factory, now four-bedroom home flickered. The glowing ghost of Diana stood up out of her body and walked to the middle of the room. "Ok, Mom. I'm so excited! This will be so much fun. I'll be back soon."</p><p>"See you in a bit."</p><p>All the appliances flashed again and ghost-Diana disappeared.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Milliseconds later, all the lights in Amanda's suburban Seattle house flickered and Diana appeared in the middle of the living room.</p><p>Blonde haired Sandra looked up at the flashing TV from her forest green trimmed couch, then at the glowing ghost standing in front of her. "Hi Diana. How are you doing tonight?"</p><p>"Fine, thanks, Mrs. Prentice. Is Mandy ready?"</p><p>Sandra called up at the stairs, "Mandy, your sister is here. Are you ready?"</p><p>Amanda came bouncing down the stairs at light speed. "This is going to be so much fun! I've never astral projected before."</p><p>Diana said, "It's super fun!"</p><p>Sandra laughed. "I bet it is."</p><p>"Ok, are you ready?"</p><p>"Yes!"</p><p>Diana sat down on the forest green love seat. "Ok, come sit here next to me." Amanda sat down and took her hand. "Now close your eyes and relax."</p><p>Amanda closed her eyes and exhaled, sinking back into the big overstuffed chair. She relaxed and her breathing slowed. Her eyes flickered, all the lights in the house flashed, and a pink glowing ghost of Amanda stood up out of her body. Diana walked her to the middle of the room.</p><p>"Mom! Look!"</p><p>Sandra stood up and stared. She tentatively reached out towards the ghost of her daughter. Her hand passed into the plasma and Amanda giggled, "That tickles!"</p><p>Sandra smirked, then called up the stairs, "Misty, you have to come see this!"</p><p>"What's up?" Echoed down the stairs.</p><p>"It's Mandy, she's astral projecting with Diana."</p><p>Brown haired Misty hurriedly rushed down the stairs, and stopped in her tracks at the bottom, staring open mouthed.</p><p>Amanda giggled and pointed at the kitchen wall, and said, "Diana, can we?"</p><p>Diana smiled. "Sure." They walked over to the wall separating the kitchen from the living room. "Now just hold my hand and relax." Amanda's face calmed, and they stepped, holding hands, into the wall. A second later, their bodies disappeared, and</p><p>Amanda's voice echoed out of the kitchen. "Mom! That's so cool! Did you see that?"</p><p>A loud thud sounded from the living room. Sandra shot to her feet and instantly ran to her wife, laying unconscious on the floor. "Misty! Misty! Are you OK?"</p><p>Sandra knelt over Misty as her eyes slowly fluttered, she rolled to one side, and gently rubbed her head. Misty pushed herself up into a sitting position, supported by Sandra. "Sandra? Did I just see?"</p><p>"Mom? Are you OK?" Echoed out of the kitchen. The ghosts of Diana and Amanda came running back out, straight through the wall, through the couch, over to Misty.</p><p>Misty stared at two spirits passing straight through the furniture. She turned white, swayed, and fell limp again, this time into Sandra's arms.</p><p>Sandra gently shook Misty. She got up, worried, and found the phone. Diana laid her glowing left hand over Misty's heart and flashed her eyes purple. Amanda asked Diana, "Is Mom going to be ok?"</p><p>Diana said, "Your mom just got too excited. She's ok."</p><p>Misty's eyes slowly flickered, then opened up again. She looked around, bewildered. "What happened? Is Mandy OK? I thought I saw her ghost."</p><p>Diana still had her hand on Misty. "It's ok, Mrs. Prentice. Mandy was just getting ready to go watch a movie at my house."</p><p>Misty's eyes glazed over a bit. "Ok. Have fun." She stood herself back up off the floor like nothing happened.</p><p>A very worried Sandra stopped dialing, but watched Misty carefully. Her worry started to dissipate seeing her wife suddenly carry on like nothing happened. <em>What in the world could I tell paramedics? My wife passed out because the ghost of my daughter is going to watch a movie with her ghost step sister?</em></p><p>Ghost-Diana now stood with ghost-Amanda in the middle of the room. "Ready to go?"</p><p>"Yep!"</p><p>"Ok, relax."</p><p>Suddenly, all the lights and electronics flashed violently and the sisters disappeared.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Adalind leaned over the wood topped stainless steel bar, and looked at Nick with a gentle smile. "Hey honey, Diana is bringing a special guest over for movie night, tonight."</p><p>"Oh, great. Who?"</p><p>Adalind looked at Nick, wondering how to break the news. She wrinkled her brow and decided to just blurt it out. "Nick, we found out you have another..."</p><p>Nick's phone blew up with calls and text messages. He frowned, then turned and answered it. "I can't believe this! It's not even supposed to be our weekend on call but Holtby and Bauer just got into a wreck in a police chase. Renard says Hank and I have to deal with a murder while they sort out the accident and get them over to the hospital."</p><p>Adalind sighed and shook her head. Nick kissed her on the lips, headed back into the bedroom to change clothes, and said, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."</p><p>Nick, now dressed in blue jeans, a brown Henley shirt, and a black bomber jacket, rolled the wooden door on the elevator up, and was standing next to his car when all the lights and appliances flickered.</p><p>Adalind walked over to the iridescent ghost of Amanda, standing next to actual Diana, in her kitchen. "Mandy! It's so good to see you! Is this the first time you've ever astral projected?"</p><p>"Yes, Mrs. Burkhardt."</p><p>"What do you think so far?"</p><p>"It's super fun, but weird. Can you astral project?"</p><p>"Yes, although I don't do it as much as Diana. It freaks most people out."</p><p>"My mom, Misty, sorta passed out when she saw me walk through the wall out of the kitchen."</p><p>"I hope she was ok."</p><p>"Yes, she was fine."</p><p>"Have you gotten stuck in anything or fallen through any floors?"</p><p>"I got my hand stuck in the fridge door. Diana helped me get it out."</p><p>"And no getting zapped."</p><p>"Zapped?"</p><p>"Like if you touch your body when you're projecting or if a Hexenbiest zaps you."</p><p>"Oh, no. Diana warned me not to touch my body."</p><p>Adalind chuckled.</p><p>"What's a Hexenbiest?"</p><p>"I'm a Hexenbiest. So are Diana and Catherine, though they don't wogue yet."</p><p>Amanda's eyebrows rose, she shifted side to side, then looked up at Adalind.</p><p>"Would you like to see me wogue?"</p><p>"Yes, Mrs. Burkhardt, if it's ok."</p><p>"Sure. Ready?" Adalind looked at her eyes, then transformed herself into an ancient, mummified witch corpse. She ground bony teeth, barely connected by dried sinew and leathery flesh, and looked at Amanda through shriveled eyes that rattled around in their eye sockets. Hexen-Adalind looked into the endless abyss of her jet-black eyes and smiled. "Are you ok?"</p><p>Amanda smiled. "Yes."</p><p>"Ok, I'm going to wogue back." The ancient witch corpse transformed herself back into beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed, Adalind.</p><p>Adalind observed her reaction. <em>She's definitely a Grimm, all right. </em>"You're Lowen. Would you like to show me?</p><p>"Sure!" Amanda smiled and transformed herself. Her feline features were less pronounced than a regular Lowen. She had a curly mane and black body fur instead of the usual blonde, she was still very petite, and had less fur than a normal Lowen. Catherine and Kelly tried to touch her ghost fur, but their curious fingers passed into her plasma, making Amanda giggle. "Can they see Wesen?"</p><p>"Yes. All four of them. And Grimms too."</p><p>"So they see my eyes?"</p><p>"Yes, except they never see them turn blue. Even Diana only sees your eyes black. Can you see your own eyes turn black?"</p><p>"Only when I wogue."</p><p>"I bet that was weird."</p><p>"Sort of. My parents never taught me about Grimms before, so I didn't know what it was."</p><p>"Interesting. Well, I'm so glad we finally got you here for our movie night."</p><p>Ghost-Lowen-Amanda transformed herself back to Amanda. "Is Mr. Burkhardt here?"</p><p>"No, I'm sorry. Nick got called away on an emergency with the police department. He was looking forward to finally meeting you."</p><p>Ghost-Amanda looked down, shifted side to side, and sighed heavily. Three kids bounced up to her and started chattering excitedly. Diana grabbed her hand and they all zoomed out to the living room together.</p><p>Kelly wanted to show her the roof access, so they all climbed up the stairway to the large, flat, roof and watched the sun set over the Portland skyline.</p><p>Next he found the Uno cards. Adalind, Diana, Kelly, and Amanda played several games together. Amanda even won one when her final card was a wild/pick four.</p><p>Finally, out came the movie. Four actual kids and their ghost half-sister piled into the big couch together. Adalind laughed at the spectacle from her soft, brown leather recliner. "Kids, now give your sister some room."</p><p>They watched a zoo themed cartoon musical. Diana, Amanda, and Kelly had seen it several times and enjoyed singing along to all the songs.</p><p>Between movies, Amanda looked at all of the family pictures, one by one. She touched glowing fingers to the pictures of her father with his family. She noticed an older, dark curly haired, petite woman in several of the pictures with them. She looked at Diana. "Sis, who is that?"</p><p>"That's Mom, my other mom."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"She's Dad's mom." She paused for a minute when she noticed the sad but hopeful look on Amanda's face. "That makes her your Grandmother too, but we just call her 'Mom'."</p><p>"Is she?"</p><p>"She's a Grimm, like you." Diana flashed her eyes purple. "She will like you."</p><p>Adalind ambled over. Ghost-Amanda looked at the pictures, then at Adalind, who gave her a gentle, reassuring look. "Maybe you can meet your grandmother next time. Would you like to pick the next movie?"</p><p>"Sure"</p><p>They walked back towards the living room when Diana interrupted. "Can we try another cartwheel?"</p><p>Amanda looked at Adalind. Adalind chuckled and said, "I think there's room in the garage. We don't have much of a yard to practice in."</p><p>Soon the entire gang stood in the garage and eagerly watched ghost-Amanda coach Diana through a cartwheel. Diana got it on the 2nd try and did five cartwheels. Kelly and Catherine gave it a shot. Their natural Grimm athleticism had them turning sloppy cartwheels after the first try.</p><p>Adalind stared silently at Amanda, Kelly, and Catherine standing side by side. The uncanny family resemblance gave her pause, especially so with little Catherine. Catherine and Amanda were near carbon copies of grandma Kelly, with her dark curly hair, olive skin, and petite build. Amanda looked more like them than their actual baby brother, blonde haired Chuck, who easily passed as Diana's brother.</p><p>Adalind decided that she would not have guessed tall, blonde haired, athletic Sandra was her actual mother, she looked more like smaller, brown haired Misty. There was no missing Sandra for a Lowen, though.</p><p>Next, Amanda showed them how to do a handstand and turned a couple front and back walkovers. She coached Diana through a handstand. Diana wanted to try a walkover. Adalind chuckled as she watched Diana stretch her long legs out and try to balance on her hands with tiny Amanda's help. It took a few tries but she eventually got the hang of the balance and body position.</p><p>Kelly and Catherine couldn't resist trying the gymnastics moves, and got them both on the second try with Amanda's help.</p><p>Soon, they were back upstairs. Kelly and Catherine turned cartwheels through the kitchen as Diana chased them back into the living room. They piled back into the couch for a second movie.</p><p>This one was a silly adventure about golden retrievers playing basketball. The kids all laughed at the dog antics, then started yawning.</p><p>Soft, warm, blankets covered them. Sleepy eyes started nodding. Soon children drifted off to sleep. Amanda's ghost eyes closed slowly, she flickered, then disappeared. Kelly and Catherine slowly slumped over into the spot Amanda vacated, and slept soundly.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The next week...</p><p>A white utility van slowly drove up to the powerline pole across the street from the Prentice's house. A black haired man wearing an orange and bright yellow reflective cable company vest over a blue work uniform pulled up a tablet computer and checked his paperwork. He put on a white cable company hardhat.</p><p>He slowly walked across the street to the yellow trimmed house, stepped up onto the front porch, and pushed the doorbell.</p><p>Misty answered.</p><p>He looked down at a stainless steel clipboard towards some paperwork, then up at Misty, and said, "Hello, Mrs. Prentice, I'm Carl Johnson from the cable company. We're doing some routine maintenance in the area this week. Our records show that your cable, internet, and phone service runs through the box I'm working on, across the street there. You will probably have a thirty minute interruption. I'll come check on you once I'm done to make sure everything is working properly."</p><p>She took a slow sip of her coffee, looked at his badge, hat, and vest, then said "Ok, fine. Thanks for telling me."</p><p>Sandra asked "Who was that?"</p><p>"A guy from the cable company."</p><p>"Are they finally going to fix the internet so it doesn't drop out every time it rains?"</p><p>"I'll ask him."</p><p>The technician walked back to his truck and slid an orange fiberglass extension ladder off the roof of the truck. He extended it and leaned it against the pole, then climbed up. He opened the junction box, installed a shiny square box with a small antenna in the cable, then buttoned it back up. He mounted a small black box inconspicuously on the pole next to the large, round, junction box connected to the thick, black, utility cable.</p><p>He pulled up his cellphone and his tablet, looked at the screens, made a few adjustments to the box, then climbed back down the ladder, packed up, walked back across the street, checked with Misty.</p><p>She spoke with him. He nodded, got a heavy tool belt out of his truck, and went around the back of their house. She stood, watching, while he opened up a gray plastic box. He pulled handfuls of vines and weeds out of the box, then pointed at rusty, wobbly connections. He clipped corroded connectors off the ends of the black cables, replaced them with new, replaced the rusty three-way splitter with a brand new shiny unit, then buttoned it all up. She walked him back into the house to make sure everything worked correctly. Misty pointed the technician to Sandra, who smiled, thanked him, and signed his tablet computer.</p><p>The next day, he stopped on the street opposite from their house, climbed up the pole, and set up another small box overlooking their back yard. He then installed one more on each of the light poles overlooking the sides of the house.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.8k words 12/8/20 r2</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Pyramid scheme</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>One of Amanda's friends makes an unexpected discovery.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 11<br/>Pyramid Scheme</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A dozen wrapped presents zoomed through the Prentice's house. Amanda, Diana, Kelly, Catherine, Jason, Alexander, and Rosalind scampered through the living room and bounced up the stairs, following on the heels of the presents.</p><p>Misty ducked for cover when the swarm of presents buzzed back down the stairs past her head, and looped back around through the kitchen. Her eyes nearly popped out when the birthday candles lit themselves with a muffled woosh. She stopped bouncing Rosalee's little Kyle, sat mouth agape, and asked, "Is this normal? You know, life with a Grimm?"</p><p>Rosalee snorted tea out her nose, coughed, and said, "Normal!"</p><p>Adalind laughed out loud, then said, "Normal? This isn't even 'normal' for Hexenbiests."</p><p>Rosalee chuckled and said, "You'll get used to it."</p><p>Adalind called out, "Diana! We aren't ready for the candles yet, and please put the presents back on the table."</p><p>"Ok, Mom," filtered down the stairs.</p><p>The jumble of presents fluttered back down the stairs and settled in the center of the "Happy Birthday" table cloth, spread neatly on the side table. Sandra pursed her lips at the fourteen candles an instant before they extinguished themselves. She stared at Amanda's birthday cake, ready to blow, exhaled and said, "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that."</p><p>Rosalee laughed out loud and said, "You should see Diana fold laundry."</p><p>Adalind chimed in, "Or when she helps clean house."</p><p>Misty and Sandra stared at each other, wide eyed, and then giggled.</p><p>Adalind laid a gentle hand on Sandra's hand, and said, "Amanda's been such a trooper. I'm so sorry Nick couldn't come. He's been on an undercover assignment all week."</p><p>Misty and Sandra looked at Rosalee and tilted their heads. Rosalee nodded, smiled, and asked, "Adalind, does Nick know yet?"</p><p>Adalind set a pitcher of lemonade on the table, sighed, and said, "I've told him a over dozen times now, but I don't think he pays attention. You know how husbands can be."</p><p>Misty quietly chuckled while Rosalee nodded.</p><p>Rosalee took Chuck from Sandra and said, "You said Mandy met another Grimm friend?"</p><p>Sandra said, "Lauren is out of the country with work. She sells glue, and they do a lot of business overseas."</p><p>Rosalee and Adalind quickly glanced at each other with a smirk, then continued helping with birthday preparations.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few short months later...</p><p>Amanda's middle school cheerleading squad broke formation and jumped up to practice a stunt for next weekend's competition. One of the bases, Miriam, tripped and fell in the wet grass.</p><p>She grimaced, wiped brown grass off her face, and grasped her ankle. Amanda ran over beside her at the edge of the pavement, put a hand on her back, and said, "Miriam, rest her for a minute, and we'll get you some ice."</p><p>Miriam gritted her teeth, stared off at the lion mural painted on the back of the middle school, rubbed hands on her ankle, and said "No, help me up."</p><p>Amanda took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Tears rolled out of Miriam's red eyes, and her skin became yellow and scaly. Short fangs popped out of greenish jaws, and a set of gills appeared. She stared straight into Amanda's eyes, mere inches from her face, and turned to stone. She blurted out, "No! No! No! A Grimm!"</p><p>Amanda tried to steady her friend, and said, "It's ok, Miriam, calm down."</p><p>Miriam snarled and said, "No! Don't kill me," shoved Amanda off, turned, and fled to the blue and white locker room, hobbling and crying.</p><p>Stunned, Amanda said, "No, Miriam, it's just me! Mandy!" She watched her friend run away, crying, and mumbling about a Grimm.</p><p>She turned back to the squad, shoulders hunched, to find three other girls standing, hands on hips, staring at her in their blue and white cheer uniforms. They looked, then slowly backed away. Blonde haired Jessica said, "Did she say a Grimm?"</p><p>Amanda turned away as Jessica wogued. She said, "Jessica, I think Miriam hurt her ankle. Can you go check on her." She slipped her emergency pair of sunglasses on and turned back around, just in time to see three girls wogued, staring at her. Amanda said, "A Grimm? Are you crazy? Guys, you know I'm a Lowen!"</p><p>They stared at her, waiting. She whispered, "Seriously? Right here? In public?" They stood, staring, and nodded. She scowled, then gumbled, "Ok, fine." She twisted her head and transformed, revealing slick black body fur, powerful jaws tipped with sharp fangs, a dark, curly mane, flattened feline facial features, and sunglasses.</p><p>They chuckled, the two tawny teenage Lowen and one calico Klaustreich transformed back into Jennifer, Allison, and Haleigh. She transformed back to Amanda, and said "Come on, let's get Miriam some ice for her ankle."</p><p>They ran back to the locker room, but Miriam was already long gone.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The next day at school, Amanda walked out with her lunch tray and set it next to Miriam. "How is your ankle?"</p><p>Miriam pushed away, face white. She mouthed, "no, no, please don't kill me," quickly stood up, and hobbled away.</p><p>Amanda watched Miriam hurrying away, and said, "No, Miriam, it's ok. It's just me."</p><p>The lunch room fell silent. She felt every eye suddenly stop and stare at her. She hunched her shoulders, set her tray down on the empty white and blue table, slumped onto the bench, stared into her meat loaf, and forced herself to gulp down some lunch.</p><p>Jennifer, Haleigh, and Allison strutted over as she pushed away from the half-eaten lunch. Blonde haired Jennifer wrinkled her nose, "Cat got her tongue I see. Why are you trying to be friends with one of those anyway?"</p><p>Amanda looked down and said, "Come on, Jennifer, you know Miriam and I have been best friends since 3rd grade."</p><p>Strawberry blonde haired Haleigh laughed, wrinkled her nose, and said, "A Skalengek? Seriously? Ugh. Can't you smell her?"</p><p>Brown haired Allison flipped her hair at the three of them, and said, "I bet she's half Skalengek. That's why they're such good friends."</p><p>Then they turned and walked away, laughing.</p><p>Amanda tried to greet and check on Miriam for the next few days. Miriam backed away, scared, every time. She finally gave up and let her have some space.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A month later, Allison, Haleigh and Jennifer strutted up to her at lunch. Jennifer flipped her blonde hair, and said, "They say you killed her."</p><p>Amanda looked around, shocked, and whispered, "What? Killed who?"</p><p>"Miriam. She went missing three weeks ago. She told her friends that you were a Grimm and you saw her wogue."</p><p>"That's crazy. You know she's been my best friend since third grade."</p><p>"Well, we've taken two first places without her. We need to keep our pride strong for the competition this weekend. I know you're ready. She was pulling us down. Anyway, what would a Lowen want with a Skalengek? Ugh. Now if she was a Steinadler, mmmmm hmm."</p><p>Amanda bristled, but kept her mouth shut.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Misty was dragging a hamper full of laundry down the hall when she spied Amanda, balled up in bed, knees pulled tightly into her chest, crying.</p><p>She set the hamper down, knocked on the door, and said, "Sweetie, are you ok?"</p><p>Amanda buried her head in her lion stuffed animal and sniffed, "They say I killed her."</p><p>Misty sat down next to her, rubbed a gentle hand on Amanda's shoulder, and asked, "Do you want to talk about it."</p><p>Amanda told her mother about the episode at school, her best friend going missing, the rumors, and now even two of her teachers were standoffish and keeping their distance.</p><p>Misty rubbed a warm hand on her back and reassured her about the incident.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Thursday night, at MMA practice, she saw Lauren and told her about the incident. Lauren and Amanda removed blue sparring pads, rinsed off mouthpieces, and changed back out of their white gi robes.  Amanda said, "One of my friends went missing about a month ago."</p><p>"Are you sure she's missing?"</p><p>"Yeah, her parents are looking for her. She hurt her ankle at cheer practice, wogued, and saw my eyes. She freaked out and left. Then maybe a week later she went missing.</p><p>"Can you get me a picture. We can start asking around and see if anybody knows anything."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>"Yes, a Grimm." Red tipped fingers cradled the antique Ebony and Brazilian Rosewood phone receiver against ruby red lips. She lifted a picture out of a manilla folder, glanced at it, then picked up the next one.</p><p>Steel blue eyes gazed out a window, from her black leather seat behind a Brazilian Rosewood Louis XIV desk, into a crystal clear, blue sky. "Of course we have our own security, but, as you have often chided me, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We can't afford another episode like last time, we prefer to maintain a low profile, and that means stay out of the headlines."</p><p>She stood up, paced past the desk, and said, "Of course this is coming from The King. I'll have him on the phone with you in five minutes if you like. I agree, We would all prefer to avoid that. Thailand. This needs to be in place in a month. Two weeks would be preferable to ensure everything is quiet on his arrival. And we would appreciate you providing the same Grimm as last time, if she's not in the middle of some critical assignment. Of course, we will cover all the expenses, this is for The King. Excellent! Thank you."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.6k words 12/9/20 r2</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A picture is worth a thousand words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda's concern over her friend's disappearance grows.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 12<br/>A picture is worth a thousand words</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A white sedan sat overlooking the middle school practice field. A man with a mustache lifted and pointed a black camera. He twisted the black rubber ring on a long lens, squinted his eyes, and pushed the button. He brushed salt and pepper brown hair away from his face, snapped several pictures of the middle school cheerleaders practicing, and pencilled notes in a dog-eared notebook.</p><p>The same car parked across from the red brick Big Wookie MMA gym on Thursday night, quietly waited, took pictures, and more notes.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p><em>Where are the scars on Lauren's back?</em> Amanda squinted closer at the picture and scratched her head.</p><p>She thought back to the time she asked Lauren about the one with her kissing a guy.</p><p>
  <em>"Is that Jess's dad?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Huh? Oh, no. That's just an old friend of mine."</em>
</p><p><em>Amanda peered at mistletoe and matching garish Christmas sweaters. </em> <em>"Was it a Christmas party?"</em></p><p>
  <em>"No, we were just out at dinner."</em>
</p><p>She gently brushed her fingertips over the picture of Lauren, without any scars, standing on a dock overlooking a blue lake, and thought, <em>I kinda doubt glue salespeople hang up fake pictures of themselves. It's sort of weird that she doesn't have one single picture of any friends she seems to know, or even Jess's dad. Well, I guess maybe that's not that weird.</em> She sighed heavily, and retrieved the black and pink LC monogrammed baby bag from the teddy bear decorated room.</p><p>"You ready?" Lauren asked.</p><p>"Absolutely." Amanda replied.</p><p>"Remember, we are only there to watch. Nothing else. We can't let him know we're here."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Three nights of silence in Lauren's white SUV, staring into the crowds, watching a heavy set man with a grayish beard wander through the park, and Mandy stated coldly, "He's looking for young girls."</p><p>Lauren's eyes brightened, and she said, "For himself?"</p><p>"I don't think so. Mmm, no."</p><p>Lauren patted Amanda's shoulder, and said, "So then he's selling them. Do you think he's doing it himself or is he working for somebody?"</p><p>Amanda stared out the window for another twenty minutes. She squinted, paused, tied her hair back into a pony tail, pulled the gray hoodie over her head, and slid out the door into the deep shadows beside the bushes.</p><p>Lauren frowned then slid out the other door. She slinked through the shadows behind Amanda.</p><p>Amanda milled around, then sat down on a curb behind him, and allowed the light breeze blow past him into her face. She pretended not to watch him from deep within the dark recesses of her gray hoodie. Half an hour later, she milled around, circling him behind a trash can, and made her way back to the car. She leaned on the car, shifted back and forth, and stared. Lauren stood at the edge of the bushes, phone jammed into her ear, and said, "No sir, I understand. I'll keep her out of it. I'll send everything over to you tomorrow." Lauren saw Amanda and turned to face the bushes. She finally finished and they got in.</p><p>Amanda brushed some leaves and grit off her pants, and said, "I think he's working for somebody. He's bruised and has sort of a weird limp, like he recently got beat up."</p><p>"Anything else? Wesen?"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure he's a Skalengek. The smell is pretty hard to miss."</p><p>"You can smell that?"</p><p>"You can't?"</p><p>"Nope, not like that."</p><p>"Mine's not as good as Mom's. She'll sniff you out in a second."</p><p>"What did I have for lunch?"</p><p>Amanda rubbed her hand along the dark gray fabric arm rest, grimaced and thought, <em>What haven't you eaten in this car? I still don't get how you aren't grossed out from all the, ugh. Mom would go crazy with this constant flood of stink blasting your brain, but gosh, Lauren acts like she can't smell any of it.</em> She said, "Jake's Place. Two cheese burgers, bacon cheese jalapeno fries, and a shake. Then you got a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, a sausage bagel sandwich, and a cup of coffee."</p><p>"What kind of shake?"</p><p>"You had two. Chocolate mint and peanut butter."</p><p>Lauren laughed out loud. "Are you hungry? I'm hungry."</p><p>"You're always hungry."</p><p>"Want to grab a burger?"</p><p>"What about him?"</p><p>"What happens if we do something now? We won't know who he's working for, if he's got any girls, or where he keeps them."</p><p>"I think he might."</p><p>"Might what?"</p><p>"Have some girls. I smelled something like perfume or girly soap, too. More than one type. Something that doesn't seem to fit a guy like that."</p><p>"Like girl stuff or women's stuff?"</p><p>"Definitely girly stuff. It's not the expensive stuff. Oh, and I found these. He threw them out."</p><p>Lauren looked over two crumpled fast food receipts. "Vancouver? Notice anything?"</p><p>"Twenty eight cheeseburgers? Not even you eat that much."</p><p>"Bingo."</p><p>"We have to go figure out what's going on!"</p><p>"Mmmmm." Lauren ran a hand through her short hair, and paused, staring out into space for an eternity. She quietly grumbled and said, "Nope. That's in another country with different laws and law enforcement. You and I can't exactly create a ruckus across an international border without arousing a lot of attention. And just how would we get girls back here, if there are any? We have to stay away from people who ask a lot of questions. I'm going to pass on all our info to a buddy at the local FBI field office, but you can't be involved with that."</p><p>"Lauren!" Mandy whined with a definite grump.</p><p>"And what would your Mom do if she got a call from the FBI about you? Trust me, there are plenty of bad guys out there that nobody will miss. You have to stay out of this!"</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The tall, slender woman looked up from her desk and stared out the window, into the reds, yellows, and oranges of Austrian fall.</p><p>She slid several manilla folders out of a locked file and them laid on her desk. She opened the first, stared at the picture of Lauren, smiled, closed it, and slid it back into the locked drawer. She drummed ruby red nails on the Brazilian Rosewood desk and opened the second.</p><p>She laid out fourteen pictures of young girls, stared at them, and scowled. She thought back. <em>Four years! Four years in his dungeon, with a dozen girls like that. His personal toys, before father finally rescued me. I swore he would pay.</em> Her mother's warm smile passed through her memory and she gritted her teeth. <em>Mother, murdered as revenge, and father, forced to flee, to the very ends of the known world.</em> <em>They chased him to Portland, Oregon, and even there, they never gave him a single </em><em>moment's peace, and, well, </em><em>the </em><em>king shuttled me off as if I was some sort of embarrassment. </em>She closed her eyes and inhaled, clenched her fists and teeth, paused, and exhaled slowly.</p><p>A ghost of a smirk finally crept across her lips as she thought, <em>Ironic how the tides have shifted. They hounded him, and that Grimm singlehandedly killed more of them in the past five years than any single event since The Crusades. Now, I'm the one sitting in a castle.</em></p><p>The smirk on her ruby red lips grew as her steel blue eyes stared out onto the fields full of brown stubble. She peered down at the picture of a man's face, and thought, <em>Maximillian, maybe I can't do anything about you, but at least they'll soon be out of your hands.</em> She closed the dossier, slid it into her locked drawer, and opened the third.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The following Wednesday Amanda stood in formation, dressed in her blue and white cheer uniform. They counted out a cheer routine, broke formation, ran over, and pulled bottles of water out of a large tub. Jennifer, Allison, and Haleigh marched up and surrounded her.</p><p>"I don't know why you keep worrying about Miriam so much. Our squad took another first place without her last weekend, and you're our best flyer." Jennifer said as she flipped her hair. Haleigh and Allison nodded with hands on their blue and white clad hips.</p><p>"She's my best friend."</p><p>"She was your friend. You know she wouldn't be seen anywhere near you if she was here. All her friends keep telling people you killed her. Face it, Amanda, a real friend wouldn't do that. You're a Lowen, not a Skalengek. You need to stick with your pride."</p><p>Amanda grumbled, and thought, <em>What's wrong with Lauren? Why won't she do anything about this? This is my best friend! Fine! It's time for me to do something.</em></p><p>That night, Amanda peeked out her window into the darkness, and thought, <em>Perfect. No moon. </em>She poked her head into the hall and perked her ears. The sounds of heavy sleeping filtered back to her. She pulled a gray hoodie over her head and slid out of the house.</p><p>She made her way across town to a gray house in a sketchy neighborhood. She looked out of the shadows and saw the front rooms lit. She slinked along the neighbor's fence line, around the unlit back, and found the door.</p><p>Amanda closed her eyes and silently exhaled. She paused for what felt like an eternity. <em>Ready?</em> She touched the brass knob, gingerly tried to twist, and released it. She stood and stared at the door, scratched her head, smiled, and twisted her head.</p><p>Amanda crouched, extended black claws, and scratched the bottom of the door along the marks already gouged into bare wood. She scratched five times, paused, scratched five more times, then crouched and waited.</p><p>Soon she heard heavy footsteps and a man's voice echo behind the door. "I'm coming, Baxter. I swear the Johnson's don't feed you, do they. Ok, well, hang on."</p><p>She scratched five more times, backed up, put her fingertips on the grass, dug in her toes, and waited. The door to creaked and cracked open. Yellow light flooded into the yard through the opening, and Amanda charged as hard as she could.</p><p>The grayish blur burst through the door and crashed on top of the bearded man dressed in sweat pants and a greasy white shirt. Stunned, he swung, scattering fish-flavor cat food in a semicircle across the green linoleum floor, yellow sink, and olive formica countertop.</p><p>Amanda felt the gray blur whiz over her head and heard the metallic clatter against the cabinets while she slammed a kicks and punches into his round chest and salt and pepper beard.</p><p>He winced and wogued, revealing a yellow scaly hide, yellow eyes, and gills on his neck. He leapt off the floor, straight at her, with a sharp-toothed hiss, but screeched to a halt at the sight of his own Skalengek reflection lurking inside the shadow of the gray hood and a machete raised high. His scaly skin turned greenish and he said, "Oh my God! A Grimm!"</p><p>He stared at the black machete in her left hand. The man fell to his knees, pushing backwards, and started yelling, "No! No! No! I swear, I didn't do it!"</p><p>She pointed the razor sharp machete at his eye and said "The girls!"</p><p>"I don't know what you are talking about!"</p><p>She raised the worn machete over her head, preparing to swing, and said, "The girls, Skalengek!"</p><p>"They'll kill me."</p><p>She hauled the machete back and focused on his neck.</p><p>"No! No! Whatever you want! Here!" He threw a thick, rubber band wrapped wad of one-hundred dollar bills onto the counter next to her. A petite, gloved hand reached out and stuffed it into her front pocket.</p><p>"Write it down. Everything!" How many, their names, address of the place you keep them, directions, people you work for, schedule to sell them. I want it all."</p><p>"I, uh? Swear you won't kill me?"</p><p>She tossed a pen and paper to him. "All of it."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The next night, after MMA practice, she slid up close to Lauren. They sat on the red padded mats dressed in white gi robes, and removed blue sparring pads. Amanda whispered, "I know where they have the girls."</p><p>"Huh? What?"</p><p>She looked around, and whispered, "In Vancouver. I know the address and everything. They are supposed to ship them out next Tuesday. We have to go rescue them."</p><p>Lauren sat up straight as a board, focused her eyes at Amanda, and said, "How do you know this?"</p><p>Amanda told her about beating the information out of the guy. She shared all the information. Addresses, schedules, and the rest.</p><p>Lauren's face turned red, her eyes narrowed, and she hissed. "You were supposed to stay out of this!"</p><p>"Miriam is my best friend! I can't just let them kill her."</p><p>A buzz echoed in Lauren's pocket. She fished out a black cellphone Mandy couldn't remember seeing before. She put her thumb on it, entered a code, and finally looked at the message. She cursed under her breath and muttered, "Seriously? Now? No!" then slid it back in her pocket. She paused for a minute, staring at Amanda, and said, "Did you kill him?"</p><p>"No. I told him I wouldn't if he told me everything."</p><p>She rubbed a hand through her short black hair. "No! Mandy! What are you thinking?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Don't you think he'll tell somebody? Don't you think they will just clear out? Move the girls, or worse, kill them all?"</p><p>"He said he wouldn't tell anybody."</p><p>"Right, just like he wasn't supposed to tell you either. Seriously! Mandy! The Authorities are already working on it. You have to stay out of this."</p><p>Amanda snuck out that night again. The man's place looked empty and dark. She waited and waited, then finally found a loose window in back, snuck in, and found his body, cold and stiff.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>She yawned and had trouble focusing all day, Friday, She stared at her writing assignment for half an hour and couldn't make any sense of it. She stared out the window in math class until the teacher yelled at her, three times. She stared and picked at the baked chicken and mashed potatoes for lunch, and realized she hadn't eaten anything. She looked at her tray and squinted at a dozen question marks traced in her gravy. Then in Social Studies, she answered the wrong question on the board and everyone stared at her and laughed.</p><p>Finally, at cheer practice, she forgot to line up in formation once and turned left when everybody else turned right. Jennifer walked straight up to her, and said "Hey! Our competition is next weekend! Get your head in the game. What happened there in formation? Your timing was way off!"</p><p>Amanda looked at her shoes, shoulders fallen, and said, "I don't know, I didn't sleep last night. I'm going to practice counting off the whole routine this weekend. I'll be ready Monday."</p><p>"A few of us are getting together at my house tomorrow afternoon to go through it. You should come over."</p><p>"My parents have stuff lined up for tomorrow, but I'll try to come over, ok?"</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Lauren sat, at the end of a row of gray chairs, looking out at shadows and lights moving in the darkness. She slurped coffee, rubbed her eyes, and looked down at Jess eating apple slices and a cup of milk. She stared up at the TV screen, ignoring the usual Saturday morning political outrage cloaked as news, and then back out the window. She pointed and said, "Hey buddy, look, an Airplane."</p><p>Jess jumped up and scampered to the window. He pressed his face and hands against the glass, and watched intently.</p><p>She watched a woman walk up to a podium and look into the sparse crowd. She heard an announcement, stood up, grabbed the handle of a rolling bag, and slung the pink and black monogrammed baby bag over her shoulder. She said, "Come on buddy, time to go."</p><p>He stood, talking and pointing. She laughed, walked over, and took him by the hand. She walked him over and stood behind a group of people. She yawned and looked down at Jess, holding his teddy bear and pulling towards the window. A buzz rumbled in her pocket. She grumbled, fished out her phone, and muttered, "Vancouver?"</p><p>She shrugged and said, "Lauren, Xander adhesives, can I help you?"</p><p>"Hey, it's Amanda. I messed up the other day. I'm going to rescue Miriam."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I'm in Vancouver now."</p><p>"No! Mandy! You can't do this!"</p><p>"This is what Grimms do. You said it yourself. I have to rescue her."</p><p>"Amanda! Listen to me! You can't get involved!"</p><p>"I have to. I owe it to her."</p><p>"At least wait till I can get there! Promise me you won't do this by yourself."</p><p>Lauren stared at the airplane sitting outside the window in the dark, the stewardess standing at the ticket machine, and the TV screen full of numbers and times. She rubbed her left hand through her short hair, then finally looked down at Jess, holding a teddy bear, next to a black rolling suitcase. She cursed under her breath, said, "Sorry," pulled the tickets away from the woman, and stepped out of line. She dialed her phone, and turned around.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>3k 12/15/20 r2</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Lost and found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda's search for her best friend intensifies</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 13<br/>Lost and found</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The early morning sun flared like fire over the treeline, burning the light frost into a low hanging fog. A pair of heavy binoculars focused on a rusted warehouse in the shadowed Vancouver waterfront. They surveyed from left to right and stopped on a short gray flash that materialized out of the shadows and put a foot against the fence.</p><p>A tall and scruffy, plaid shirt clad man lowered his binoculars, and said, "Dude! What the heck! Some girl just jumped the fence!"</p><p>A man in a bomber jacket with short cropped black hair sat up straight, threw binoculars up, and said, "Monroe, was she coming out?"</p><p>"Nick, she went in!"</p><p>"In? That makes no sense."</p><p>"Wook, you got anybody female, short, like five foot even, about ninety pounds, dark hair?"</p><p>"Like a victim?" answered the red haired giant in the back seat, looking up from a thick dossier file and a floorplan.</p><p>Nick peered through the fog at the gray image, and said, "Nope, she just went in."</p><p>"That's a negatory, five-oh."</p><p>Monroe leaned the binoculars on the black dashboard, snickered, and said, "Probably just some kid looking to break windows or hook up with her boyfriend."</p><p>They turned and continued reviewing their floor plan, map, and pictures from the back of a large white SUV. Nick pointed at a map, and said, "Ok, Monroe's team goes in here from the side. My team goes in the front. We'll make a diversion and draw out everybody we can while Wook's team goes in the back and recovers the girls. We've run this two dozen times with the teams. Is there anything we are missing for tomorrow? There are fourteen girls in there, so this has to be right."</p><p>"And they have medical teams ready? Most of these girls haven't eaten in the better part of two months. They're going to be in bad shape, probably barely walking."</p><p>"We've got an Royal Canadian Mounted Police contact coordinating ambulances and EMT's. There are beds in three hospitals cleared out and ready."</p><p>Monroe pointed at the map, and asked, "Who is cutting the fence tonight? We gotta make sure every single hole is ready."</p><p>Wook answered, "We have five RCMP agents coming in after dark tonight to cut the fence. We just have to mark the sections, and that means we better be here so we know exactly where the holes actually end up."</p><p>"Oh, after last time, I'm standing there and making sure they actually cut it."</p><p>They all nodded.</p><p>Monroe asked, "Are they cutting the chains on the doors too? You know, so we can actually get in?"</p><p>Wook said, "You really think they can get that close without Hundjagers sniffing them out?"</p><p>"So is there a breaching team?"</p><p>"I don't understand why you always have so much trouble with doors."</p><p>"It's not like the rest of us can just rip a hole through the wall."</p><p>Wook chuckled and shrugged.</p><p>"Ok, well, we better have like ten pairs of bolt cutters, the good ones, and not that cheap discount store junk!"</p><p>Nick laid the binoculars down, and said, "Ok, let me guess, you brought your great-great-uncle's pre-war set which he buried in the black forest to hide from both the Kaiser, and Hitler, which you inherited from Uncle Felix and recently restored."</p><p>Wook's laughter boomed out and he fist bumped Nick, while Monroe rolled his eyes, chuckled, and said, "No, I keep Uncle Felix's pair at the house for special occasions, you know, like when I have to cut an original Louis XIV 1688 Thuret clock out of somebody's cold, dead hands. You're the cop, don't you keep bolt cutters in the trunk?"</p><p>"Yeah, well, you know me. Gas station coffee and <em>hoi polloi</em> bolt cutters. If you're ok using mine, we'll sneak in after dark and cut all the chains loose."</p><p>Monroe laughed, raised the binoculars back to his eyes, and said, "I guess we'll just have to settle. The struggle is real!"</p><p>Half an hour later, Nick got out, stretched, and ambled behind the thick bushes into a slow shower of orange and brown leaves. He stared into his thermos, poured a steaming black slush of gritty grinds onto the tall grass, and said, "Hey, one of you guys want to go grab some coffee or do you want me to?"</p><p>Wook and Monroe chuckled. Monroe said, "Well, since you're offering. Hey, at least make sure they brew a fresh pot."</p><p>"What, my usual coffee isn't good enough for you?"</p><p>Monroe shuddered and wrinkled his nose, then said, "Nick, you know we love you, but you'll drink literally anything if it's in the bottom of a coffee pot."</p><p>Wook laughed out loud again and fist bumped Monroe.</p><p>Nick winked and said, "Do you want to go instead, maybe pick up some fancy bolt cutters while you are out?"</p><p>"No, I'm just saying, have them brew a fresh pot."</p><p>Nick snuck back to a second car and drove off, leaving Wook and Monroe laughing and praying that Nick wouldn't simply pour all the stale gas station coffee dregs into the thermos... Again.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda poked her head back in the open window, high on the wall, stared down at her friend, and said, "Hurry! Miriam!"</p><p>The black haired girl below reached up towards a rusty steel beam, pushed her foot on a warehouse shelf, and kicked her leg up. Her pants leg snagged on a rusty bolt, her foot slid and she hung, toes dangling inches above the floor.</p><p>Her fingers slid. She craned towards the window, kicked at a cross brace, and cried out, "No! Help!"</p><p>She fell free and slammed onto the floor, enveloped in a shower of grit. She laid on her back, eyes clenched, weeping, with her hands gripping the back of her head. She rolled onto her side, pulled her knees into her chest and rocked, smearing the outline in the black dust.</p><p>Amanda waved her hand and quietly called down, "You have to climb!"</p><p>Miriam pushed up, onto her knees, and a tangle of black hair sheeted her head. She bowed, nose pressed into a growing puddle of tears on the hard concrete floor, and sobbed, "I, I can't!"</p><p>Amanda backed out the window, onto the sun-drenched roof, and squinted, searching the empty expanse, finally focusing on the ladder access twenty feet away. She poked her head back into the darkness and called out, "Hurry, before they come back."</p><p>Miriam's voice echoed, "Mandy! No! Don't leave me!"</p><p>Amanda stared out into the quiet and felt the gentle breeze.  She squinted, searchinh past the trees for Lauren's car. The cage ladder sat feet away. The empty parking lot below, the fence, and the tree line beckoned. She gritted her teeth, muttered, "You can't leave Miriam!" and climbed back in the window.</p><p>She scampered back down the rusty brown beams, across orange racking, and hopped to the floor. She gently rubbed Miriam's shoulder, took her hand, and whispered, "I'm not leaving you. Get up. We have to hide. They're coming!"</p><p>Four black haired men with guns ran in, stared up at the open window, and shot, filling the room with a deafening roar. Holes perforated the wall and sent dirty glass shards clattering and crackling onto the machines below, while Miriam cupped hands of over her ears, rocked, and silently wept.</p><p>A shorter, brown haired man in a black suit ran in, and yelled at them in a foreign language. He pointed to the mark on the floor, pointed at them, yelled some more, then called out in broken English, "Miriam! Come out Miriam! We know you're in here."</p><p>He pointed and yelled again, sending the men away into a dark hallway, as he searched in the other direction.</p><p>Amanda and Miriam crept past the machine. He jumped out and slashed his knife. Amanda darted in front of Miriam, arm raised, and grimaced as red drops sprinkled her shoes. She kicked his knife hand, sending the knife clattering, and stabbed her own knife into his stomach. He slammed a fist across her face, spinning her around and knocking her down. He kicked and stomped as she rolled across the floor, slashing claws and her knife across his legs.</p><p>He grimaced and she leapt to her feet. He put his head down and shot in to tackle her. He smashed her against an old machine and she stabbed, over and over, into his back, then slashed claws across the side of his neck. He jerked up, glassy eyed, and stumbled back a step with a hand on his neck while red seeped through his fingers and shirt.</p><p>She whipped the machete off her back and hacked in one fluid motion. His body slumped to her left and a head rolled off behind a machine. She wiped the machete on his shirt and slid it back into the sheath slung across her back.</p><p>The two girls crouched behind an old green machine and stared as sunlight slowly filtered in through bullet holes high on the wall, creating orange sparkles in the acrid smoke. Miriam trembled, weeping, rocking and cupping her ears, while Amanda gripped bloody fingers on her arm, and stared, out of the darkness, towards footsteps coming back.</p><p>"Mandy, they're going to kill us. You're hurt."</p><p>"No, Miriam, we're going to get out. Just stay in the shadows and follow me!"</p><p>A black haired man in a suit walked past them, lifted his nose, and sniffed. He turned, stared at the machine, and stepped into the shadows behind it. Amanda swung her machete out of the darkness. A metallic clink sounded and his body slumped into a pile.</p><p>"Come on! Now!" Amanda said, and two girls skirted behind a maze of machines and crates towards a door.</p><p>Amanda put her hands on the push bar and shoved, leaving a red smear. The door creaked, lurched one-half inch, and slammed against the locked chains outside. The alarm wailed, four men turned, and a deafening metallic roar filled the room as they peppering the door and the wall around it with bullet holes.</p><p>Amanda dragged gaunt Miriam, crying with her hands on her ears, and said, "Come on! We have to run! Now!"</p><p>"Come on out little girls!" the tallest man yelled in broken English, "We promise we won't hurt you if you give up."</p><p>A shorter, stocky man called out, "Come on, make this easy and we won't go after your families. Remember, Miriam, we know where you live!"</p><p>Miriam silently mouthed, "No! Not my parents!" Tears washed gullies through the black grit caked on her face, and she wiped, smearing machine grease into the grit and dragging it across her sunken cheeks.</p><p>Amanda shushed her, staring under the acrid cloud of gun smoke which now blanketed the machines around them. She said, "Hush! They are just saying that!" She pulled Miriam behind another greenish machine beside a dark hallway, leaving a trail of red drops and footprints in the darkness.</p><p>She peeked under a greasy machine pedestal, machete in hand, and sniffed. She saw four sets of legs walking by. She waited till the last one passed then hacked right above the back of his ankles. He fell backwards, shooting into the men in front of him and then into the ceiling. She whipped the machete again the instant he hit the ground, and the thrashing stopped.</p><p>She picked up his gun, pointed, and jerked the trigger. It bucked in her hands and roared away, showering Miriam and herself with empty bullet shells. The barrel lifted, and belched out a long orange fireball, pouring through the men in front of her, climbing the wall towards the roof, and over her head.</p><p>Suddenly the gun went silent. She jerked the trigger, but nothing happened. She felt a swarm of hot stings attack her skin. She dumped the gun and clawed at the searing brass tangled in her hair, biting her neck, and sizzling inside her shirt.</p><p>Miriam writhed on the floor, screaming over the ringing in her ears, swatting at her back and neck, and scrubbing at the smoking shells tangled in own her hair and shirt as they burned white welts into her skin.</p><p>Amanda grabbed trembling Miriam and hauled her into the dark hallway. They flapped their clothing, releasing a clatter of hot brass from their shirt tails and pants legs. They crept from shadow to shadow, passing three more doors into the dark. She stopped to smell, but her nose was overwhelmed by gun smoke, blood, machine oil, dead hundjager, and the trembling Skalengek standing next to her. She saw sunlight streaming but her peripheral vision suddenly caught a red blink. She looked up and saw two cameras pointed at them.</p><p>"Go! Miriam! Now!" Amanda said and pushed her forward, towards a glass door.</p><p>Miriam ran ahead of her towards freedom. Her hands hit the push bar, she slammed against the door, and bounced. She rubbed her head and whimpered, "no, no, no."</p><p>A black blur flashed out of the darkness and tackled Miriam. Her head recoiled off the cement block wall and she let out a shriek. A big, dark haired Shackal wrenched her off her feet. He snapped sharp teeth, pounded a fist into her, and yelled, "Miriam? Where do you think you are going?"</p><p>Amanda charged two steps forward but felt herself slamming into the wall. She swung, slashed, and hacked with all her might, but watched men smash and pound until Miriam fell limp. She tore free and clawed one step forward just in time to watch Miriam's body disappear, dragged away, into the darkness.</p><p>She screamed, "No! Miriam!"</p><p>She thrashed, punched, and clawed, trying to force her way back to her friend. A dozen Hundjagers swarmed over her, pounding punches and kicks into her body. She stabbed and ripped claws through everything she could touch until she slid across the slick floor and watched the world slowly turn sideways. The stench of sweaty dog filled her nostrils and thick, salty, blood filled her mouth. She slid, clawed, and slashed, unable to stand. They gritted their teeth, snarled, kicked, and smashed.</p><p>A silent hurricane battered her head, chest, and sides. Her mind screamed at her arms and legs, but panic washed over her as she watched them flopping limp, thrown to and fro by wave after crashing wave. The entire world washed, swirled, and went black.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.5k 12/18/20 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Black and Blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A familiar face comes to the rescue</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 14<br/>Black and Blue</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Nick set the empty carafe under the second coffee maker and screwed the lid on his green thermos. He stood at a convenience store cash register, staring past beef jerky sticks, lottery tickets, and cigarettes, when his phone buzzed. He pulled it up, stared at the picture, then shrugged.</p><p>On the drive back, Nick's mind rolled through ten-thousand details and preparations for tomorrow's mission. He stared off into the Vancouver skyline and his mind wandered, <em>I really need to bring Adalind here for a weekend away.</em> He made mental notes about the various shops and restaurants. <em>She loves city life, and this would be a great escape from the kids.</em></p><p>He parked behind a line of bright red Maple trees and wandered, through the brown grass, back to the guys. Wook and Monroe poured cups of coffee, raised their styrofoam cups, and made a fake clink sound.</p><p>Wook said, "Here's to Nick for getting fresh coffee! Cheers!"</p><p>Monroe laughed and said "Here, Here! To the man who brewed a fresh pot of coffee!"</p><p>Nick mischievously winked and said, "Yeah, yeah, I just rinsed the brown sticky goo in the bottom of the pots into the thermos. Brewing a fresh pot would have taken three minutes longer. Oh, hey, it's probably nothing, but was this the girl?"</p><p>He pulled up the BOLO bulletin on his "secret squirrel" phone.</p><p>Monroe stared at it. "Mmm, I can't really tell. Maybe, if she was dressed in a hoodie and had her hair pulled back into a pony tail."</p><p>Wook glanced at the picture, and said, "Nick! Let me see that." He stared. "Mandy? Here? In Vancouver? That can't be right! Monroe! Was that her?"</p><p>"Dude, I couldn't make out..." The crack of gunshots cut Monroe off. Two men on the roof convulsed and fell while three more instantly turned and ran back.</p><p>Wook said, "We're going in! Now! Tell them that she went in and there's shooting! Mandy? No! What the heck are you doing here?"</p><p>They piled out and started suiting up by the trunk. Nick threw on a bullet proof vest, stuffed guns and ammo magazines in his pockets, and grabbed his axe. Wook pulled his shirt and pants off and grabbed a giant wooden club. Nick looked at Monroe and then Wook, and said, "Come on, there's a lot of bad guys with guns in there! You need body armor!"</p><p>"Nope. You know that stuff is a train wreck when I go Wildermann."</p><p>"At least take a backup gun!"</p><p>Monroe said, "I'm good. You know I like to roll old school."</p><p>Wook chuckled, and said, "Mmmm! I've always wanted to try out your Grimm axe!"</p><p>Nick tossed the axe to Wook, and said, "It's all yours buddy, you know I always bring a spare."</p><p>Wook caressed the leather wrapped wooden handle, brushed fingers gently over the scarred blade, and finally held it out straight and sighted down it's length. A smile crept across his lips, and he said, "Mmmm baby! Daddy likey!"</p><p>"Hey! Where are we going in. There's a ton of guys in there."</p><p>Monroe said, "Well, you're the cop with the gun. Go around back and head off any vans that try to escape. Wook and I are going in the front to pick a fight."</p><p>Wook grinned, twisted his head, and grew eighteen inches taller. His shoulders widened, and a thick, shaggy coat of orange hair blanketed his mountainous, nearly eight-foot tall and four-hundred fifty pound body. He smiled, revealing giant square teeth. He hefted the old battle axe, now a child's toy in his hand, turned his head towards another salvo of gunfire, and said, "Amanda's in there. Let's go."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Wildermann Wook kicked the chained door, sending it crashing into the building, followed instantly by the wail of a door alarm.</p><p>Monroe flashed inside, following on the heels of the clattering door, as it careened down the hallway, and finally smashed into a wall.</p><p>Wook's eyes quickly adjusted and he saw a red smear on the floor, and then ten bloody Hundjagers squinting and snarling. He gripped the axe. A silvery sunbeam glinted off the axe, into their eyes, and finally illuminated a small, sticky figure at the end of the smear. He yelled and heaved a cement block, which crushed into the first man, sweeping him across two others.</p><p>Monroe lept out in front, bounced across the walls, and tore straight into them while Wook ducked the doorway and waded in, swinging the axe down on them.</p><p>They huddled up around the girl, gritted their teeth, and snarled.</p><p>Three Hundjagers fell to the axe while the werewolf grabbed a second Hundjager and ripped his throat out. Wook swung again, hacking another two down as the Monroe continued his relentless assault from the other side, until they stood alone.</p><p>"Man, I like Nick's axe. This thing is awesome!"</p><p>Roarng gunfire echoing out from across the building. Wook said, "I think Nick found them. I don't see Amanda here, did you see which way they went?"</p><p>"No, but I can smell her. They took her through that door."</p><p>"It's probably a trap. Let's make a door!"</p><p>Monroe waved and said, "After you!"</p><p>Wook backed up and slammed into the wall, crushing a hole straight through it and blasting an avalanche of concrete block and dust onto the four men hiding behind it. Wook swung the axe down on them. Monroe followed, grabbing the first thing he could get his hands on, and ripped it's throat out. They ran towards a loading dock area and watched two vans screeching and swerving away. Three hundjagers hobbled and limped, dragging a body toward a third van.</p><p>Monroe yelled, "Nick! Little help over here!"</p><p>Nick wrenched his axe out of the chest of a dead Hundjager, stood straight up, and marched towards them. The hundjagers stood, staring at Nick, dumped the body into a pile, and snarled, "A Grimm!"</p><p>Wook grabbed the first one from behind and swung him like a rag doll, smashing him across the roof of a yellow forklift. He grabbed the second and flung him across the loading dock into the side of the parked van, crushing it's brown side like a soda can and rocking it up on two wheels. Monroe pounced on the third, and ripped his throat out, while the wrecked van crashed down onto four wheels and bounced.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Nick knelt over a sticky heap, pressed fingers into its swollen neck, and said. "Hey, we've got a girl! She's alive!" He scooped up the tiny body, and carried her out of the warehouse building.</p><p>Bright white flashed onto the girl's face, her eyes fluttered, and popped open. She squinted at the flash, transformed, revealing a matted black mane and disheveled black body fur. She snarled, baring bloody teeth and missing fangs. Her claws extended towards Nick, but suddenly stopped and retracted. She stared into his face, and transformed back into a purple, battered girl, reaching a wobbly arm towards him, and excitedly mumbling.</p><p>He looked at her blood shot, bruised eyes, wiped blood off her mouth, untangled his hand from the sticky mat of hair, and said, "It's ok, you're safe now."</p><p>Wook rushed beside them, stared, and finally said "Amanda? Amanda! What are you doing here?"</p><p>She mumbled something, struggled, said, "Miriam," then fell limp.</p><p>Nick brushed her face and said, "Shhh. It's going to be ok. Wook, you know this girl?" He passed Amanda to Wook. Her eyes fluttered, she mumbled something, and dug her fingers into Nick's jacket. He looked into her eyes, brushed over her forehead, and said, "Shh, calm down, sweetie. We'll get you back to your parents here soon."</p><p>Nick looked at the girl, cradled like a toddler in Wook's giant arms, and said, "You run one heck of a gym there in Seattle. I don't know what you did to her, but I've never seen a Lowen kid that could cause that much carnage against that many people. She killed over a dozen of them."</p><p>Wook gently brushed a giant, square hand along her face, smiled, and said, "She's a Grimm."</p><p>Nick looked up at Wook and said, "She's a mixed Grimm and she can wogue? Huh. Where in the world did you come up with one of those?"</p><p>Wook smiled, cradling her like a baby, touched her face, and said, "I've known her parents since before she was born. They try to keep a low profile... Mandy, what in the world possessed you to try this all by yourself? Hang in there sweetie! Don't go dying on me now! We gotta get you to a hospital."</p><p>Nick looked back towards the building, and said, "Monroe, come on, let's circle back around with our RCMP contact to see how many of the girls we recovered, and if any of them are named Miriam." He turned, picked up his axe, and walked back in through the door.</p><p>She opened her eyes, reached out her hand towards Nick, mumbled something, then fell limp again.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Lauren ran over to Wook while he was carrying Amanda back to the SUV, and said, "Please, tell me she's alive."</p><p>"Yeah, I don't know how. She took one hell of a beating and got cut up pretty good, but she's alive."</p><p>"Thank God! Wook, she promised me she wouldn't go in."</p><p>"She's a kid. They do stupid stuff."</p><p>"Look, Wook, you can't be tied to this. I gotta take her back."</p><p>"Sandra's going to be crazy."</p><p>"I know. I'll take all the blame. They're transferring me overseas today anyway, I was supposed to leave this morning."</p><p>"What are you going to tell her?"</p><p>"That we went out hunting a child molester and it went south."</p><p>"Sandra's going to freak out. Please, don't kill Amanda's mother."</p><p>Lauren sighed, then said, "Nobody can find out about this. Let her mom think it was my fault. I'm gone anyway." She glanced at her watch, and said, "I fly out at six."</p><p>"Where you off to this time?"</p><p>"Thailand."</p><p>Wook's phone buzzed. He looked at it, scowled, and said. "We only recovered six, and that Miriam girl wasn't one of them. Four months of work. We had the whole team, fourty of us, ready for tomorrow. Mandy!"</p><p>Lauren scowled, and said, "We lost eight girls including Mandy's friend Miriam? Mandy, what were you thinking? We would have gotten them all back tomorrow!"</p><p>They changed grayish Amanda out of her bloody clothes, dumped a couple packets of Quick Clot into the wounds on her arms and legs, and poured her into the passenger's seat.</p><p>Wook sighed a giant sigh, then wrapped Lauren in a giant hug. "You better come back and visit me and Amanda once this blows over. You know she's going to take this really hard."</p><p>"I will. Promise me you will watch out for her."</p><p>"I will."</p><p>Lauren was talking on the phone before her car got onto the highway.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.9k 12/24/20 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The sound of silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda starts dealing with the consequences of her adventure.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 15<br/>The sound of silence</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A black-stained hoodie sweatshirt flopped out of the pile in Sandra's arms and onto the floor. She stooped, in front of the washing machine, picked it up, and thought, <em>Bend High School? As in Bend, Oregon? </em></p><p>She brought it to her nose, coughed, and instantly recoiled.</p><p>A heavy lump flopped. She slid a hand into the pocket, fished it out, and stared at a thick rubber-banded stack of one-hundred dollar bills. She popped the rubber band and started counting, mouth agape. <em>There's got to be ten-thousand dollars here? Mandy?</em></p><p>She scowled, brought them towards her nose, sniffed, and pushed them away with a hard cough. She threw them into the washing machine, dumped an extra scoop of detergent in, and clicked the knob to heavy duty, extra hot.</p><p>She washed her hands, teeth gritted, brought them to her nose, then scrubbed again, with lavender soap this time.</p><p>Sandra walked into the kitchen, past the TV, and glimpsed breaking news. A violent shootout with police lead to the break up of a major teen sex-trafficking ring in Vancouver. Six girls aged thirteen and younger were recovered. Authorities are working to reunite them with their parents in the United States. The news man said it appeared that the police broke up a gang war, as the ringleader was decapitated and many gang members were stabbed.</p><p>She stared at the TV, and said, "Decapitated? That's weird. Who decapitates people anymore?"</p><p>She coughed as the horrible stench of blood, sweat, men, and Skalengek wafted through her nostrils. She wogued, right there in the kitchen, snapped powerful jaws, clawed deep gashes into the cutting board, and snarled, "Lauren!"</p><p>Sandra stomped across the kitchen, snatched up her phone, saw four missed calls from Bellingham, Washington and another five from Lauren. She roared, "You! What are you doing to my daughter!"</p><p>She snarled and flashed sharp fangs, about to dial, when the phone rang again.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda bounced and her eyes fluttered. Searing pain, and nausea washed over her. She wogued and started to claw, but her whole body screamed. She heard Lauren's voice buzz.</p><p>She transformed back to human form and mumbled, "Lauren? Is that you? What happened? Where's Miriam?"</p><p>"She was already gone when we got there."</p><p>"What? No!" Amanda grabbed for the door handle, but the locks kept clicking.</p><p>"Hey! Hands off the door. Focus! Don't go all stupid on me, we're driving."</p><p>"No! Miriam!"</p><p>"You're lucky to be alive. We're on the way to the hospital."</p><p>"No! I'm ok! Mom can't find out!"</p><p>"I can't do that to your mom, or Misty. And yes, they're going to be furious."</p><p>"No!" Amanda started mumbling, crying, and the world went black.</p><p>Her eyes opened and she tried to force them to focus, but they still wouldn't. She scrubbed clumsy fingers across her burning, gritty eyes.</p><p>Lauren's voice barely buzzed above the ringing in her ears, "You back with me again?"</p><p>Amanda tried to rub her head, but pain ripped through her chest. Tears rolled out of her eyes and she grimaced. She licked her tongue inside her mouth, and caught jagged snags while jolts zapped into her brain. Her head felt fat, her ears rang, and the whole world swirled in the car.</p><p>"Listen to me carefully. You blew up a huge mission, and lost eight girls, including your friend Miriam. We had everything in place to recover them and you wouldn't wait on me or the team. You cost us four months of planning. And, you almost got yourself killed. This is very important. Listen."</p><p>Amanda said "No!" and started crying.</p><p>Lauren paused then continued. "You will only tell your mother that I took you up there. There was no one else. Only the two of us. We got separated and they caught you. I had to rescue you."</p><p>"But you weren't even there. Wook."</p><p>"Did you hear what I said? This is very important. Don't ruin the lives of people you love. Wook was not there! This is my fault. You will tell your mom and Misty only this! Do you understand? She's also mad about the guy the other night. You will tell her that he was a child molester, I took you to hunt him, and I killed him."</p><p>"But?"</p><p>"No! People's lives are on the line! The people behind that ring are still out there, and they'll be looking. Am I clear? You cannot tell anyone. Do you understand?"</p><p>"Yes, Lauren."</p><p>"Ok, here, drink this. You lost a lot of blood." Lauren passed her a bottle of water and a Gatorade.</p><p>Amanda tried to lift her arms but they felt like they were made of lead. She barely picked up the bottle and then jerked when icy cold water washed into her eyes and nose.</p><p>"Lauren?" she sputtered.</p><p>Lauren reached over and poured a tiny sip into Amanda's mouth. She tried to swallow, but started to choke, coughed, and vomited on her shirt. Lauren dumped a wad of napkins in her lap.</p><p>Lauren continued, "Now focus. I'm your Aunt Lauren. You were visiting me in Bellingham. You decided to go climb a big tree in the back yard. You fell out of a tree and got hurt. That's what you tell everybody."</p><p>"But, um? You live in Seattle."</p><p>"It's ok." Lauren pulled out her wallet, flipped through, and pulled out an ID. "Now memorize the address. They will ask."</p><p>Amanda stared at the blurry blob, squinted, and mumbled, "I can't see it."</p><p>Lauren rattled it off and she repeated the address.</p><p>Lauren pushed a phone into her ear. "Yeah, I need an ER room ready. It's for Mandy. She's pretty cut up. She probably has some broken bones, and a concussion. Of course I'll tell her parents as we discussed. I took her there. Nobody else. Look, she's fourteen! Be there in half an hour."</p><p>She hung up the phone. "Ok, what kind of tree was it?"</p><p>"Don't tell Mom!"</p><p>"I have to. We can't keep this secret from your parents, not like this. They love you too much. Ok, now what kind of tree was it?"</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"The hospital will ask. We need to agree on the details and memorize them. We have to tell your mom what I told you, though. Remember, I took you there. You didn't know anything beforehand."</p><p>"No!"</p><p>"Amanda! Focus!"</p><p>Every fiber of Amanda's body screamed. She started crying when the car hit a bump. Her eyes felt heavy and everything went black.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda's eyes opened and she watched the blurry scene from her bed. Her mother angrily pointed a finger in Lauren's face, flashed her eyes fiery yellow, gritted her teeth, then spoke. Lauren sheepishly looked down at the young boy in her arms, apologized, turned, and walked out.</p><p>Her mother walked in, looked at a dozen machines and IV's hooked up to her, and gently petted her head. She kissed her forehead and said, "I was so worried!"</p><p>"Mom? Where's Lauren?"</p><p>"No! She almost got you killed!"</p><p>"No! Mom!"</p><p>"Enough! We'll talk about this when we get home. Honey, you don't know how much you had us worried."</p><p>"Mom! No, she saved me!"</p><p>"Sweetie, you almost died! We can discuss this when we get back home."</p><p>Amanda tried to pull her legs up to her chest but piercing pains stabbed through her. She wrapped her hands tightly around a pillow, and stared out the window. Tears streamed out her eyes as agony ripped through her body. She watched Lauren get into her car and drive away. She cried until she drifted out again.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Pain knifed into her ribs, which turned into a hand wiggling her body. She opened her eyes. A blurry man in a white lab coat smiled at her, and said, "I'm Dr. Williams. I understand you had a little too much fun climbing trees today. What kind was it?"</p><p>She said, "A big cedar tree. I made it almost all the way to the top when a branch broke."</p><p>"Well, I guess the tree won, didn't it. You're lucky nothing was broken except your nose and a few teeth. You're one tough cookie. do you play any sports?"</p><p>"I cheer."</p><p>"You got a good concussion, lost quite a bit of blood, and you're pretty banged up. You have a bunch of bruised ribs, your arm and leg took over two-hundred stitches. No cheering, sports, or trees for eight weeks. Your Mom will have to follow up with your doctor to make sure there are no lingering effects of the concussion before you go battle any more trees."</p><p>"But, we have cheer competition!"</p><p>Sandra petted her head and said, "Look, Amanda, you have to heal. You took a bad fall out of that tree at your aunt's house. You had us so worried. Cheering will just have to wait. Coach will understand."</p><p>Misty brushed a soft hand across her swollen face, kissed her forehead, and said, "Shhh, baby, you need to rest."</p><p>The doctor said, "Mom, I'm going to ask you to keep her at home and do online classes until she is all healed up. It's going to be at least eight weeks."</p><p>Amanda pulled her pillow into her chest to slow the daggers slicing through her, stared out the window at the light rain brushing orange leaves off the trees, and cried.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Three days later, Amanda hobbled up into the car. She sat like a stone, silently staring into the horizon from the back seat while shocks jolted through her chest every time she inhaled.</p><p>An hour later, Sandra said, "Tell me what happened."</p><p>"Mom! It was all my fault."</p><p>"No! Tell me the truth. Why were you in Vancouver."</p><p>She stared out the window at the fall colors mixed into green spruces and cedars. She started rocking in the seat, closed her eyes, and cried. Lauren's voice echoed through her head, and she said, "Lauren took me."</p><p>"Did she tell you why?"</p><p>"She said some men kidnapped a bunch of girls, to sell them."</p><p>"When did she tell you about this?"</p><p>"Saturday morning, right after we left."</p><p>"Did you know any of the girls?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"There were a lot of people killed. How many more people were with you?"</p><p>"None. It was just the two of us."</p><p>"I knew that Lauren was trouble! If she's was going to drag you into crazy business like that, I would have expected there to be a whole team, and you would just watch. What about that sweatshirt and money I found?"</p><p>"Lauren took me out hunting, late Wednesday night."</p><p>"Did you kill anybody?"</p><p>"No. Lauren did. The man was a child molester with a Wesen Council bounty on him."</p><p>"And the money?"</p><p>"I took it."</p><p>"From where?"</p><p>"His house. He begged her not to kill him. He got it out of a safe."</p><p>"But she did?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Where was this?"</p><p>"In town."</p><p>"Seattle?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Look, I want all your knives and that machete when we get back. I won't have any more of this crazy Lauren business."</p><p>"I don't know where they went after I blacked out. Maybe Lauren has them?"</p><p>"Well, good riddance. I won't have any more of that in our house. You almost died."</p><p>"Mom!"</p><p>"Honey, you almost died. You're all Misty and I have. I can't. I can't lose you like that. I suppose the money will come in handy. We've got to pay for all these medical bills. You're going to need a bunch of dental work to fix up those broken teeth."</p><p>"Can I at least keep Grandpa's knife?"</p><p>Sandra sat silent for a long time, then said, "Ok, you can keep Grandpa's knife, but it stays in my drawer."</p><p>"I'm sorry, Mom."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2k 12/28/20 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Fixer-upper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The princess learns of the blown mission while Amanda gets a special visit.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 16<br/>Fixer-upper</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The princess stared at the briefing report, and then at the short man standing across the other side of her desk. She gritted her teeth and slammed her fists down. Her steel blue eyes flashed matte gray without the slightest hint of white and a ghost of silver shimmered over her brown hair. She flew to her feet and said "What do you mean the mission was compromised! Unacceptable!"</p><p>He shuddered, backed up a step, fidgeted in his brown suit, and started stuttering. He said, "Your highness, we still do not know what happened. The intelligence is unclear. They claim the facility was attacked the day before the operation was planned. Their team leaders were performing reconnaissance, and were able to intercept and rescue six of the girls. The other eight were lost."</p><p>"Someone attacked them? I want to know who! Are we sure this isn't a ruse?</p><p>"Thirty-one men were killed including Ivanov."</p><p>"Ivanov was killed? Alexi Ivanov? His head of security? The iron fisted Siberian who beat men to death with his bare hands?</p><p>"Yes your highness, only four escaped, with the girls."</p><p>"How did Ivanov die?"</p><p>He slid several pictures of a headless, brown suited body, and one of a brown haired head, across her desk. "Both of his femoral arteries were slashed, one carotid artery was slashed, he was stabbed thirty-six times, and decapitated."</p><p>"Decapitated? Not shot?"</p><p>"No, your highness. The only men who were shot appear to have been shot by either their own men, or by police."</p><p>"Vancouver is nearly the United States! It's full of gun crazy cowboys, nobody there even knows how to use a knife. How many were cut up like that?"</p><p>"Nearly all of them had cut or stab wounds. Nine were killed by stabbing, slashing, or having their throats ripped out. Eight appear to have been chopped in half. Seven were decapitated. The remaining seven were shot."</p><p>"There were cameras inside the building in Vancouver? I want the video!"</p><p>"Your highness, there is no video. Apparently the system failed."</p><p>"You're full of good news for me aren't you. Well, then, now you tell me the girl was hospitalized? How?"</p><p>"She was visiting family and fell out of a tree."</p><p>She walked around the desk and stood up straight, all six-foot two inches plus her red three inch heels. She scowled and stared down into him, arms crossed, through sticky gray eyes and watched him fidget and nervously back up. She said, "What? Fell out of a tree?"</p><p>"The report claims she fell while climbing a tree, at her aunt's house, in Washington."</p><p>"This makes no sense! Give me the report! And I want video from the hospital."</p><p>"But, your highness!"</p><p>"The video!"</p><p>She stood over him. He snuck a glance straight up into her dead eyes and winced. He trembled, stared down at his feet, and wogued, revealing chattering buck teeth and a slick pelt of golden fur. He cowered and stammered, "Yes, your highness!"</p><p>"Out!"</p><p>She stomped past the fireplace, and slammed the doors shut, then grabbed her tea cup and hurled it into the fire place.</p><p>She pulled out the hospital report and a map of Washington State. She tapped a pen on the map, at a city on the main highway between Seattle and Vancouver. She stared through the dead eyes at pictures of a swollen, purple girl, then gritted her teeth and slammed her fist against the desk. She closed her eyes, exhaled, and her eyes turned steel blue. She said, "Amanda! You don't have any family in Washington, so how did you get hurt so badly. Did you have something to do with this?"</p><p>She pulled out a dossier and laid out fourteen pictures of girls, removed six and threw them into the fire. She pulled a second dossier out, found photos of cheerleaders in blue uniforms, and laid them side by side. She stared at the pictures and slid one out. She put the picture of one cheerleader next to the second dossier picture of the heavy set, black haired girl, and thought, <em>Decapitated</em><em>?</em></p><p>A few minutes later a blonde haired man in a black suit stood before her. She slid a stack of pictures out and said, "Lukas, Ivanov was killed yesterday, along with most of his advance security detail. Take a look. Was this professional?"</p><p>He flipped through, glancing at them, and said, "Vicious, obviously determined, but not professional."</p><p>"Yes. I agree." She slid three pictures out, and said, "I think it was her. We have to assume that if we know, so does he, but he will be tied up, temporarily, finding a new security chief and getting a team in place. We'll have to advance our time table substantially. Get things in place to move immediately. We have to take advantage of his weakness, and hers, now."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Misty knocked on Amanda's door, and said, "Honey, you ok?" She heard a muffled mumble, and asked, "Can I come in?"</p><p>"Ok"</p><p>She opened the door into the dark room, and found Amanda balled up, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, hiding under the purple covers. The front of her pink shirt and a lock of brown hair were soaked with tears. Misty rubbed a soft hand on Amanda's shoulder and said, "Mandy? You've done nothing but cry since you got back. Do you want to talk about it?"</p><p>"No." She turned away and faced the wall, sobbing. "It's all my fault!"</p><p>Misty softly rubbed her shoulders, sighed, and said, "Shhhh, honey. Wook is coming over in a little bit with Jeremy and Ronnie from the gym."</p><p>"Wook?" She pulled her legs tightly into her chest, buried her face into her knees, and cowered under her pillow.</p><p>"At least get out of bed so you can come down and say hi to him."</p><p>"Mom, no." she sniffed, and pulled the purple comforter over her head.</p><p>A few minutes later, Wook's voice filtered up the stairs. His heavy footsteps tromped down the hall, then a dark shadow filled the doorway. He said, "Amanda, you in here? Your mom said you were up here."</p><p>She sobbed, shuffling herself deep underneath the purple unicorn trimmed bed, while he walked up next to it, loudly sighed, and said, "Your mom told me you fought it out with a tree and lost."</p><p>She sobbed and quietly muttered, "Wook, it's all my fault. My best friend is probably dead because of me. They're all gone."</p><p>"They aren't dead. People are working on it. Look, Amanda, these things happen. You need to heal and get better so you can get back to training."</p><p>"You should have let me die."</p><p>"Amanda, don't say that. We're not going to leave you."</p><p>"I hate being a Grimm. I just want it to go away."</p><p>"It's who you are. You can't make it go away."</p><p>"But It's my fault, I ruined everything!"</p><p>"And did you learn anything?"</p><p>"We kept hitting locked doors. They were chained shut. We got lost so many times. They had guns, and kept shooting at us."</p><p>"So no preparation or recon gets you killed. What else?"</p><p>"They just kept chasing us, yelling, and shooting. We kept getting cornered and I had to fight. She was so freaked out, and weak, she couldn't climb and could barely even run."</p><p>"Right. They hardly fed those girls anything for the last two months. Think, how bad would it have gone if you managed to get all fourteen girls loose?"</p><p>"Fourteen? We never would have been able to hide. They would have shot them."</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"Me too, probably. I tried to shoot one of their guns, but it went crazy, and burned my hand. The bullet shell things are so hot. They got in my shirt and left burns all over me."</p><p>"Amanda, you're incredibly lucky. You never go in alone, especially if you are trying to rescue people. Can you come out from under your bed?"</p><p>"You're not mad?"</p><p>"No. I'm glad you told Lauren, and I'm glad you are alive."</p><p>"She's gone because of me."</p><p>"No, work transferred her overseas. She was about to get on an airplane when you called her. Another half hour and she would have been in the air."</p><p>"They would have killed me."</p><p>"Yep. And that's why you have to train and work with a team. Never do stuff like this alone, plan, prepare, and of course, learn to fight your way out of a jam. How did going to the ground work?"</p><p>"Bad. They kicked me. A lot."</p><p>"Right. You're going to have to learn to fight differently. It's not competition fighting. You can run if you can stay on your feet. If you can escape, you live to fight another day. We're going to start training you differently, once you get healed back up."</p><p>She slowly shuffled and peeked one eye out from under the bed.</p><p>He slid a red envelope out of his pocket, laid it on the corner of her dresser, and said, "From Lauren. She never got to say goodbye. It's ok, your mom already read it."</p><p>She sniffled, wiped her eyes, and stared at the envelope.</p><p>He said, "You going to at least give me a hug?"</p><p>She sighed, crawled her way out from under the bed, and stood next to him, looking at her toes. He wrapped her up in a huge hug, and said, "I was so worried."</p><p>She grimaced, winced, and her knees wobbled from the stabbing pains in her chest.</p><p>He tousled her hair, and said, "Ribs?"</p><p>She said, "I don't remember much. Was there another Grimm?"</p><p>He leaned down, and whispered in her ear, "Can't talk about that."</p><p>Then he stood back up, and said "I hear you lost a few teeth. Let me see."</p><p>She stared down, scrubbed the dust bunnies and hair off her clothes, then finally looked up and smiled, showing several large black gaps.</p><p>He patted her on the shoulder, fist bumped, and said "Well, Mandy, you're officially in the club. Nobody ever tells you that being a superhero is rough on your smile. I've had most of my teeth knocked out. Come on, let's go down stairs. Ronnie and Jeremy came along to check on you too."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A few days later, Adalind and Rosalee brought eight youngsters and some strawberry ice cream for a little "Cheer up and get well visit.</p><p>Amanda sat with Diana on the floor next to her bed while the thundering herd bounced downstairs. They giggled while watching an online video, made glittery butter slime, and painted their nails. Finally Amanda sighed and said, "I think Mr. Burkhardt helped rescue me. I don't remember much, but I think I saw him. I wish he could come visit too."</p><p>Diana flashed her eyes purple, touched Amanda's hand, and said, "I know, but he's trying to find your friend. You can't tell Mom, or your moms."</p><p>Amanda's eyes became glassy, she sighed deeply, and said, "I know, I just want to meet him in real life."</p><p>"Don't worry, you will. Come on, let's paint our toe nails!"</p><p>"Ok! This is so much fun."</p><p>Half an hour later, Diana and Amanda bounced down the stairs. Adalind laughed and said, "So, what color did you pick this time?"</p><p>Diana wiggled her toes for her mother, and said "Purple!"</p><p>"You always pick purple, silly girl."</p><p>"Mom! I like purple."</p><p>Rosalee and Adalind admired the girls' glittery purple toe nail polish. Rosalee said "Sandra, I understand Amanda got pretty banged up."</p><p>Sandra looked up from bouncing and teasing little blonde haired Chuck, and said, "Yes, she got a pretty good concussion, some bruised ribs, a broken nose, and a bunch of broken teeth. She's been on antibiotics to get the swelling down. We're starting with the dental work next week, but it's going to take months to work through all the caps, crowns, and implants."</p><p>Adalind sighed and shrugged. "Life with a Grimm. You just don't know how often Diana and I patch Nick and Monroe up when things go crazy. I can't tell you how many stabbings, teeth, and broken bones we've fixed, and don't get me started on when they drag him back dead."</p><p>Terror crossed Misty's face. She set down her drink, gulped, and whispered, "Dead?"</p><p>Adalind shrugged, sipped her lemonade, and said, "Sure, Rosalee, how many is it now, with Nick? It has to be a couple hundred, if you count all Diana's tantrums."</p><p>Rosalee shrugged, and said, "I know we've brought Monroe back to life, what, at least two dozen times."</p><p>Sandra's face turned green. She squeaked out, "Dead? Like dead dead?"</p><p>Adalind nodded at Rosalee, then said, "Sandra, Diana and I are pretty good at fixing up Grimms. Diana's grandmother taught me. If you are ok with it, we'll fix Amanda up. You just wouldn't believe. I think Nick gets a tooth knocked out or stabbed every week."</p><p>Sandra rubbed her hands across her face and into her hair, stared at the floor, then mouthed, "Sure, yeah. Ok, I guess."</p><p>Diana took Amanda's hand and said, "Mandy, Mom is going to fix your nose, teeth, and stuff."</p><p>Amanda hesitated, and said, "Does it hurt?"</p><p>"It stings a little, but it's ok."</p><p>"Ok."</p><p>Rosalee took Sandra and Misty's hands and said, "She has to do this wogued, as a Hexenbiest. Are you going to be ok?"</p><p>Misty started fidgeting and sweating. She looked around at everyone, the color drained from her face, and she gulped.</p><p>"Misty, let's go in the kitchen and get a drink while she does this."</p><p>Misty wiped her brow, exhaled, and quietly said, "Thanks Rosalee."</p><p>Sandra said, "I'd like to see this, if it's ok with you."</p><p>Adalind said, "Sure. Ok, Amanda, are you ready? I need to wogue to do this. Now, if it starts to hurt too much, just tell me and I can help with that. After we fix you up in Kehrsite mode, I'll have you wogue and we can make sure nothing is injured in your Lowen mode either."</p><p>Amanda said, "Ok, Mrs. Burkhardt."</p><p>Adalind twisted her head and transformed into an ancient mummified witch corpse. She ground bony jaws and held out a leathery hand. She laid a curled hand on Amanda's face, focused her shrivelled eyes and slowly rubbed over Amanda's broken nose.</p><p>A few minutes later, Amanda pushed and pulled lightly, sniffed in slowly, and said, "Wow, cool. Mom! My nose! It's fixed!"</p><p>Hexen-Adalind ground bony jaws together, and said, "Ok, ready to open wide?"</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The ancient witch corpse rubbed a leathery finger into the gap in Amanda's mouth where a missing fang once lived. Adalind touched her other bony hand on Amanda's mane and said, "Ok, ready? Please don't bite my fingers."</p><p>Amanda breathed in, then jumped and winced as a long fang sprouted out of her left jaw. Adalind pulled bony fingers out of Amanda's mouth and said, "You ok?"</p><p>"Yes, Mrs. Burkhardt. It just burns."</p><p>"Here, tell me if this helps." Adalind massaged a curled hand on Amanda's face and squinted.</p><p>Amanda's eyes became glassy, she smiled, and said. "Mmmm. Yes, thanks."</p><p>"Ok, ready?" Adalind put her fingers on Amanda's gums and rubbed. New bright white teeth sprouted one after another, and refilled the holes between the older teeth. She slowly massaged her hand over Amanda's hairy ear, across the side of her head, and around the back of her skull. Amanda winced, gritted her teeth and inhaled with a jerk, then slowly exhaled and relaxed.</p><p>Sandra stared, mouth wide open, slowly closed her mouth, rubbed a hand on her face, and her mouth fell wide open again. Finally, she said, "How are you doing that? She had teeth missing."</p><p>The ancient witch corpse smiled, ground her jaws, and said, "I've had a lot of practice. It's just life with a Grimm."</p><p>Adalind rubbed a mummified hand across Diana's shoulder, and said, "Diana, do you mind checking your sister to see if we've missed anything?"</p><p>Diana flashed her eyes fiery purple, said, "Ok mom." She put her hands on Amanda and squinted. She rubbed over Amanda's right ribs, down over her liver, over her kidney, and down to her hip. Amanda gritted her teeth, arched her back with her head back, raised up all the way up on her tip-toes, and gripped claws deep into the arm of the green love seat. Tears rolled down her furry cheeks, and claws sliced through the toes of her shoes. A crackling sound echoed as her claws slowly ripped gouges into the wood floor.</p><p>Adalind rubbed a hand on her back and said "Amanda, honey, are you Ok?"</p><p>Amanda hissed through her teeth, winced, and grunted out, "Mmmmmmm! Ugh! I'll be fine, it just burns."</p><p>Finally, Diana finished. Amanda came down off her toes and retracted her claws. She transformed back to normal and wrapped the ancient witch corpse into a huge hug. She said, "Thanks, Mrs. Burkhardt! I feel so good now." Then she turned and wrapped Diana into a huge hug, and said, "And you too!"</p><p>She bounced over to Sandra and said, "Mom! Look! All my teeth are back, my ears aren't ringing, and I can hear in this ear again. Yay! I'm going to show Mom too!" She grabbed Diana's hand and ran into the kitchen.</p><p>Adalind transformed back to the beautiful young woman who looked perennially twenty-five. Sandra stood up, wrapped her into a hug, and said, "I can't thank you enough."</p><p>Rosalee poked her head out and said, "Ok?"</p><p>Adalind winked and nodded. Rosalee brought Misty back out, and said, "It's pretty important for Amanda to have an extra-high protein and calcium diet for the next couple weeks. Amanda, you're in luck, that means lots of ice cream, milk, peanut butter, and meat. You're going to need to make sure you eat an extra scoop of ice cream with us today, doctor's orders!"</p><p>Sandra and Misty laughed while Amanda giggled and shovelled another spoonful of strawberry ice cream into her mouth. Adalind chuckled and said, "Doctor's orders."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Connie Prentice's eyes slowly opened in the darkness. She squinted through the dark at the buzzing phone, flapped her hand across the bedside table, and finally the clock.</p><p>She grumbled under her breath, then answered.</p><p>"What? Now? No, it wasn't supposed to be for two months. Two days? Where? Seattle?"</p><p>She groaned and then shook the man next to her. "JJ. Wake up. We're doing this now."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>3.2k 1/2/21 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Departures and arrivals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gears are put in motion</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 17<br/>Departures and arrivals</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>Amanda's mind wandered out the window, into the darkness, past the white moving truck parked across the street, the utility vans lined up next door, and the four men with hard hats peering at the transformer. She turned and stared at her door, then at the floor.</p>
<p>She hadn't said more than a few words all week, and frankly, she didn't have any to say. She didn't feel like eating, or training, or doing anything. Every time she closed her eyes, Miriam's face begged her, fearful, and screaming. She watched punches slamming into her best friend's mouth, cheeks, and eyes. She slumped onto the floor, dragged her comforter over her body, drew her knees into her chest, and sobbed.</p>
<p>Rapping on the door frame broke into her grief. She glanced at her mother, Misty, in the doorway.</p>
<p>"Honey? You ok?"</p>
<p>She simply hunched back down into a ball and cried.</p>
<p>Misty exhaled a deep sigh, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, and said, "Mandy, what's wrong, honey."</p>
<p>She started to pull herself under her bed, but finally sobbed out, "It's all my fault."</p>
<p>"What's all your fault?"</p>
<p>Mandy paused and shuffled under her bed, silently weeping, and finally said, "nothing."</p>
<p>"Honey, you aren't making any sense. Is this about that Lauren mess?"</p>
<p>Amanda rocked, fidgeted, pulled the comforter under her bed, and sniffed out, "It's not her fault."</p>
<p>"Amanda, she should never have taken you there. That's completely unacceptable. We aren't going to allow people to drag you into danger like that. You're fourteen!"</p>
<p>"No! Mom!"</p>
<p>"I don't want any argument about this! No!"</p>
<p>Amanda gritted her teeth, and before she could stop herself, blurted out, "Lauren wasn't even there!"</p>
<p>"What! What are you talking about?"</p>
<p>"I'm not supposed to..."</p>
<p>Amanda shoved herself all the way into the darkness against the wall, and cried.</p>
<p>Misty poked her head under the bed, and said, "Amanda? What do you mean she wasn't there? What aren't you supposed to tell me?"</p>
<p>"No! I can't!"</p>
<p>"What are you talking about, you're not making any sense."</p>
<p>"They will come after us."</p>
<p>"Who?"</p>
<p>The doorbell's welcoming bell filtered up the stairs.</p>
<p>"Them!"</p>
<p>"Who?"</p>
<p>"The people who kidnapped..."</p>
<p>The sound of the front door clicking open filtered up the stairs, then a crash, Sandra screaming, and loud stomping footsteps rushing in. Misty shot to her feet.</p>
<p>Amanda yelped, "No!"</p>
<p>Four men burst in the door and grabbed Misty.</p>
<p>"Where is the girl?"</p>
<p>Misty said "No!"</p>
<p>A loud slap split the quiet and Misty's body piled onto the floor. A square hand reached down, lifted her back up, and pounded another open palm across her face, leaving her bleeding and mumbling incoherently on the floor.</p>
<p>The metallic clatter of a pump shotgun sliced through the silence.</p>
<p>"I'm only going to say this once! Amanda! Come out, or we'll kill your mother!"</p>
<p>Amanda stared out at four pairs of legs, sighed, and said, "Don't kill her. It's my fault."</p>
<p>She shuffled out from under the bed, shoulders fallen, looked at the masked men, and then at her mother's broken lip and bleeding nose, and said, "Please. Don't hurt my mom."</p>
<p>A dozen men surrounded Misty, Sandra, and Amanda in the living room, pointing shotguns at them. Sandra's eyes flashed bright yellow, and she said, "I'm going to hunt you down and kill every of you!"</p>
<p>The tallest man said, "This is real simple. You're coming with us. Try anything and we'll make you watch while we shoot your daughter, and your wife, or whatever she is, before we kill you. Same for all of you." He pointed the shotgun at Amanda, and said, "Even you. Try anything and we'll kill your mom, and, uh, her, and make you watch."</p>
<p>He continued, "If any of you escape, we'll kill the others. Understand? Now get in the vans."</p>
<p>"What's going on!" Sandra hissed.</p>
<p>"It's all my fault." Amanda said, and started crying.</p>
<p>Sandra jumped at the first man, but the man behind her slammed the butt of a shotgun into her head, and she slumped to the ground. Amanda jumped towards her mother, but the man shoved the muzzle of the shotgun against Sandra's head, and said, "No!"</p>
<p>She looked at the shotguns pointed at her, Misty, and her mother, dropped her shoulders, stared at the ground, and trudged into the dark towards the first van. She sobbed as they stuffed her mother and Misty into two separate vans. A black bag covered her head, zip ties cinched her hands, and the van bumped and rumbled off.</p>
<p>She heard men speaking in a foreign language and the word Grimm. She asked, "Where are we going?"</p>
<p>She heard shuffling and talking, then felt a sting in her neck. Wooziness and sleep washed over her, and the world went black.</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>The world swirled up and down. Amanda's eyes fluttered, and she saw a dark row of seats in dusky darkness. Her eyes opened again she saw a small window. Her stomach growled, and she thought, <em>I'm so hungry. </em><em>How many days has it been? Maybe three? Four?</em></p>
<p>Her eyes opened again and saw the seat back in front of her. She listened, and heard a loud, high pitched whine and slow, regular, heavy breathing next to her. She looked out the small, round window. <em>Clouds below a wing with a light on the tip? Darkness? The moon? Am I in an airplane? At night?</em></p>
<p>She slowly inhaled and the scent brought Miriam's Face flashing through her mind. <em>Hundjager!</em></p>
<p>The fog inside her brain flashed clear and she was instantly aware. She transformed and gnawed through the zip ties on her wrists. The man next to her snored and flopped his head against her face. She pushed his head back over, he snorted, twitched, and his eyes fluttered. Before she knew what happened, she silently snarled and he exhaled a slow wheeze as her claws retracted out of the base of his skull. She pushed his limp head back, closed his eyes, and listened.</p>
<p><em>Oh no! What did you do? They're going to kill Mom and Misty! </em>She stilled herself and focused on the sounds of heavy breathing and light snoring in the airplane cabin. Her eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth.</p>
<p>She focused, listened, and smelled. <em>How many? Four? Five? Six? Are Mom or Misty here? </em></p>
<p>She pushed herself up and counted. <em>Seven. All men, and he's got a gun. Mom and Misty aren't here</em>.</p>
<p>She transformed back to normal and closed her eyes. She wanted to start crying, but instead gritted her teeth. She listened and focused. <em>How many are asleep? </em></p>
<p>She visualized the inside of the airplane, the position of the men, walked through her plan in her mind, and gritted her teeth. <em>I have no choice, I have to kill them all! </em></p>
<p>She rummaged through his pockets and found an automatic knife and a small pistol. She hefted the knife and tested it's blade, then stared at the pistol, rubbed the healed blisters on her neck, and grimaced. <em>I've seen these in movies, but the last time didn't really go like I thought. It's better than nothing, I guess. I wonder if it has any bullets?</em></p>
<p>She looked it over and found a round button. She pressed it and felt the magazine pop loose. She pulled it out and looked at the bullets. She pulled the slide back a little and inspected the empty barrel. She put the magazine back in and slid the gun into her pocket.</p>
<p>She peeked into the seat in front of her and saw the man leaned forward, snoring. She glanced around, shoved the knife into the base of his skull, cranked it back and forth, then pulled his head back against the seat.</p>
<p>She looked around, silently lifted herself over the man beside her, crouched low, and slinked to the back. She cleared her mind, and started moving, back to front, stabbing two more men from behind.</p>
<p>She stared at the men in front of her. One, then two next to each other. She reached up between the seats and he grabbed her hand and jerked. He yelled in a foreign language. Two more men shook and jumped. She transformed and slashed across his face. He yelled and shot to his feet, slamming into the overhead compartment. Stunned, he paused, and she raked claws across his neck.</p>
<p>Two men ran at her and lunged, but she ducked behind a seat, then jumped over. A man swung, slamming a fist into her face, but she hooked claws deep into his arm. He jumped and jerked back, dragging her straight back into him. She reached out and slashed him across the face and ripped his neck. The scent of hundjager filled her nose. She flew into a white hot frenzy of laser focus. The world stopped moving and she dodged, slashed, and clawed through every living thing around her, until she stood alone, soaked and sticky. She snarled and stared at the door to the front, but exhaled, and transformed back to normal. She rifled through their belongings and pocketed all the money, knives, and small guns.</p>
<p>She looked around, ambled back, and found the bathroom door. She gingerly pulled on the door. <em>Locked</em>. She waited, beside the door, and heard a flush. She crouched in the back seat, transformed herself, and waited.</p>
<p>A dark haired woman dressed in black came out, tugging ear buds stuffed deep into her ears. She sniffed the air, and Amanda pounced, hooking claws into her head and chest, and slammed her on the floor.</p>
<p>The woman transformed into a hundjager, and started smashing elbows into Amanda's head. Amanda got on top of her and rained punches into her until she fell limp. The woman finally gasped and whispered, "Ein Grimm!" and mumbled in a foreign language.</p>
<p>"Who hired you?"</p>
<p>The woman mumbled something she couldn't understand.</p>
<p>"Name?"</p>
<p>She started repeating something long and confusing that sounded like a man's name, and then started begging again. <em>We'll kill your mother,</em> echoed through her head, she sliced the knife deep into the woman's neck, and watched her slump.</p>
<p>She pushed the woman up into the back seat then washed in the tiny sink. She found a duffel bag of clothing that looked like it should fit, and changed out of her sticky, red clothes.</p>
<p>She sat in a chair in the last row, stared at the inside of the airplane, then out the window, and waited. <em>Ok, Now what? They'll kill Mom and Misty if they find out it was me!</em></p>
<p>A knot formed in the pit of Amanda's stomach when the airplane started to descend. She marched up the small aisle and opened each beige overhead compartment. She turned, paced, then turned again.</p>
<p>She put her hands into an overhead and started to climb onto one of the chairs, then stopped and stared towards the front of the airplane. She hurried and opened each cabinet, inspecting inside, then turned back towards the overhead compartments, then back to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Her foot tapped and fingers drummed. She sat down then shot back up to her feet. She paced up the gray carpeting, turned, and paced back down past the double rows of seats and the open mouthed bodies.</p>
<p>She pushed her face into her hands and sobbed while she stared into her mother's face, bleeding, from the butt of a shotgun, and Misty, so terrified. The stench of blood and death filled her nostrils. She mouthed, "No, no, no! Mom! Misty! It's all my fault!" and she paced.</p>
<p>She stopped, stared out into the darkness, gritted her teeth, and said, "Maximillian, Prince Maximillian something or another."</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>Two nights later, three white vans parked outside the Prentice house in Seattle. Six men quickly piled out, broke through the door, and marched through the empty house with guns drawn and flashlights blazing.</p>
<p>A white haired man walked through the empty house and sauntered into a girl's bedroom. He knelt and touched a dried blood stain in the beige carpet. He walked back down stairs, signaled to his men, waved them back to the vans, and left.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.1k 1/9/21 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. With family like this...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With family like this, who needs enemies</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 18<br/>With family like this...</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p><em>Kidnapping carries such an unfortunate connotation.</em> The ghost of a smile fluttered across the princess' ruby red lips as she stared out the window of the white Mercedes Geldewagon into the sleeting Austrian sky. <em>I prefer to think of it as an opportunity to repurpose an underutilized resource.</em></p>
<p>The blonde haired man, in a gray suit, glanced at his phone, said, "The airplane is ready, your highness." He stretched blue rubber gloves over his hands, pulled out a silenced pistol, and hunched against the sleet as he ambled into the airplane hanger.</p>
<p>Two white faced pilots piled out of the airplane, had a few words with him, glanced at the SUV, and hurried away, leaving a trail of red footprints.</p>
<p>He stepped into the airplane, then returned, quickly passing through the sleet and glancing at the the sky darkening from the coming dusk. His breath hung like cotton in the air, leaving a white trail behind him. He pulled red, sticky gloves and boot covers off with a handkerchief before pulling the handle with a loud crunch.</p>
<p>She glanced at his icy hair with a self assured smirk, and said, "Well?"</p>
<p>He rubbed his red hands together and listened to the clatter of ice against the windows. He gazed out the window, leaned forward and rummaged in his pocket. He laid a crumpled twenty-euro note into her hand, and said, "Yes. All of them."</p>
<p>A smile passed her red lips. "Mmmm, Grimms are notoriously difficult to take by force. Those contractors were money well spent. I'm glad you weren't on the plane with them."</p>
<p>He grumbled under his breath, then said, "And you really think it's a good idea to bring this inside the castle?"</p>
<p>Her steel blue eyes twinkled, a smirk crossed her face, and she said, "She's barely fourteen. What are you worried about?"</p>
<p>The big SUV lurched out of the parking lot. He nodded towards the hanger drifting back behind them and said, "That."</p>
<p>"Well, for starters, we're inviting her into our castle as a guest. Do you have children, Lukas?"</p>
<p>"No, your highness. Not yet."</p>
<p>She patted his knee, chuckled, and said, "Well, then, you may want to have a talk with Franco. I have complete confidence in your ability to appropriately manage a teenage girl. So you left the door of the airplane open?"</p>
<p>"Yes, your highness."</p>
<p>"And you have the local police keeping an eye out? It's five below tonight, and sleeting. We don't want her freezing to death..." She paused, smirked, then said, "All the way."</p>
<p>"Of course."</p>
<p>"And the cleaning company for the airplane?"</p>
<p>"Already on the way. They will take care of the mess once we receive confirmation that she is out of the airport."</p>
<p>She drummed red fingernails on the wood paneling, stared out at the icy streetlights starting to flicker against the darkness, and said, "Excellent. Thank you."</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>She stood up from her desk and stared out, towards the merest crack of orange rising above the leafless trees, and marveled at the beauty of the ice shrouded countryside. She let the crackling fireplace warm her back, and raised a steaming cup of tea to her lips. She took a quick sip, glanced at the morning's briefing, and flicked her fingernails towards the rap on her door.</p>
<p>Lukas stood before her, dressed in a black suit. "Good morning, your highness."</p>
<p>"Good morning, Lukas. Any word?"</p>
<p>"Yes. She came into the police department five minutes ago. Your car is ready."</p>
<p>"Excellent. Oh, and Lukas..."</p>
<p>"Yes, your highness."</p>
<p>"Keep her cold."</p>
<p>He nodded, following her out of the office.</p>
<p>-/-/-/-</p>
<p>Lukas opened the door to the modest canton police office. She walked past him in a light gray Armani suit, matching woolen overcoat, a bright red hat, and bright red high heels. She stopped, towering over the 1950's birch desk, and stared past the sergeant. Lukas nodded at the sergeant, who walked through a metal door towards the back.</p>
<p>The police officer escorted a shaking girl, dressed in dirty clothing which crunched and stuck to her body as she shuffled. Black, matted hair sheeted her face as if glued to her cheeks. Her face bore a dark purple bruise under her eye, and swollen, scabbed lips. He stood the waif next to a steel folding chair, motioned towards the woman, and said, "Her highness, the princess," in broken english.</p>
<p>The princess peered at the tiny elf of a girl, whose head barely came halfway between her elbow and shoulder. She quirked her brow at Lukas, who shrugged and snickered. She looked the girl over, and thought, <em>This has to be some sort of mistake. There's no possible way that this child is dangerous. She doesn't look like she could barely hurt a fly, much less maul eight professional Verrat. Well, I'll soon know if this is some sort of trick.</em></p>
<p>She scowled at the sergeant, who shrugged and motioned towards Amanda. She walked over, smiled, and with a decidedly nondescript British boarding school accent, said, "Amanda? Amanda Prentice?"</p>
<p>"Yes," slowly dribbled out of Amanda's blue lips as she hunched and stared at the shoes which squished when she walked.</p>
<p>The princess gently touched the petite girl's back, and said, "Amanda, the police called us this morning and told us about your situation. We will be working to get you reunited with your parents. Do you have any place to stay?"</p>
<p>Amanda's teeth chattered as she stared at the floor. She finally mumbled, "No..."</p>
<p>"You look dreadfully cold. Here,and feel free to take a seat." The princess removed her overcoat, wrapped it over Amanda's shoulders, gently sat her down, and said, "Sergeant, Can we get her a cup of something warm? Amanda? Would you like something? Tea? Cocoa?"</p>
<p>Amanda's legs drew up into her chest and she huddled under the warm woolen overcoat. She raised her head up and stared towards the wall. Her teeth chattered and her pale body shook. Her blue eyes slowly brightened, and she said, "Cocoa, please."</p>
<p>The princess nodded at the sergeant, who soon put a steaming hot cup of cocoa into Amanda's hands. The girl cradled it, took a quick sip, winced, and rubbed her lips.</p>
<p>"They don't have much space here, except for jail cells. You are welcome to come and stay with us until we can get you back to your parents, unless you would rather stay here."</p>
<p>Amanda turned and looked towards the back, shivered, and hunched her shoulders, while the princess silently tilted her head and nodded at Lukas.</p>
<p>The princess continued, "So, are you going to stay here then?"</p>
<p>Amanda stared at the police officer, shivered, and frowned, as Lukas sent a text message, and nodded back at the princess.</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm so sorry, we haven't been introduced. Amelie Renard-Kronenberg."</p>
<p>Amanda stared into oblivion with a blank look.</p>
<p>"Prentice, that name is familiar. You said you are from the states?"</p>
<p>Amanda stared at the wall, glassy eyed, and finally said, "Yes, Seattle, Washington."</p>
<p>"Amanda Prentice, from Seattle. Hmm, yes? Do you know my sister, Diana Renard-Schade?"</p>
<p>Amanda's eyes slowly brightened, she sat up, leaned forward, and said, "You're Diana's sister?"</p>
<p>"Yes. She is my father's youngest daughter. I knew your name was familiar. I understand you are her step sister. Any sister of Diana's is a sister of mine." She paused and said, "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Amanda. You are welcome to stay with me if you like. We've got plenty of room. I'm sure you are ready for a nice hot bath, some food, and a warm bed. I would hate to see you locked into a cold cell."</p>
<p>Amanda nodded. She grimaced as she slowly straightened her legs and pushed herself up. She shuffled out of the police office, following the princess, Lukas, and her three man security team down the street and around the corner.</p>
<p>They passed an alley and a man jumped out behind them. He wogued into a muscular trollish sort with greenish skin and an angry, sharp toothed face. He whipped a wooden staff, and a curved antique blade snapped in place across it's top. The Hassliche snarled and slashed his scythe, catching the princess' security flatfooted. Before they could respond, he was already slumped on his knees with Amanda's furry hands grasping the back of his head and her knee driving his own ancient blade through his chest. She retracted bloody claws out of the back of his skull, and a slow wheeze exhaled out of his open mouth as his body slid to the sidewalk, tipped, and flopped into the bushes while the three security men in black suits fumbled to retrieve the submachine guns under their coats. They stared, open mouthed.</p>
<p>"Oh my God!" The Princess exclaimed, "Amanda, are you OK?" She turned towards her security men and said, "Quick, get the police, this man just tried to murder me. Lukas, get Amanda into the car before anyone else tries anything."</p>
<p>Lukas pushed Amanda and the princess into their waiting vehicle, had a few words with the three men dressed in black suits, then got in and motioned the driver.</p>
<p>The big white SUV lurched out onto the road, passing icy shops and houses on it's way to the countryside. Amanda grumbled, folded and pulled on the sleeves and lapels of the gray overcoat, and said, "Princess Amelie, I'm sorry about your coat. I didn't mean to get cocoa on it."</p>
<p>The princess paused, disappointed that she had somehow, completely missed seeing Amanda fight a Reaper, and wondered what sort of credentials these so called reapers actually possessed if they couldn't even properly deal with a teenage girl. She pondered the girl's response, and asked, "Amanda, have you ever seen one of those men before?"</p>
<p>"A reaper? Yes."</p>
<p>"What happened?"</p>
<p>Amanda shrugged as her eyes drifted closed. She snuggled into the black heated seats, and said, "I killed him."</p>
<p>Amelie asked, "So how did you end up here, of all places? The police indicated you were separated from your parents and were lost. Were you on vacation? If you can tell us the hotel you stayed at, we can get you back there."</p>
<p>Amanda sat silently, color slowly returning to her skin, huddled under the gray overcoat and finally said, "I was kidnapped. Where are we?"</p>
<p>"Oh, dear, kidnapped? While on vacation, here?"</p>
<p>"No. In Seattle."</p>
<p>"You were kidnapped in the United States?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"We're in Austria, near Vienna. How did you end up here?"</p>
<p>"An airplane."</p>
<p>"Like a regular airplane full of people? Did you tell a stewardess or another passenger?"</p>
<p>"No, it was a small airplane. The only people on it were guards."</p>
<p>"Oh! Do you know anything about the people who kidnapped you?"</p>
<p>"They said he was a prince. His name was very long. Maximillian something."</p>
<p>"But you didn't tell the police any of this?"</p>
<p>"I saw his name on a large picture in the police office."</p>
<p>Amelie waited for Amanda to look down, then gave Lukas a ghost of a smile.</p>
<p>She wrinkled her brow, paused, and said, "Well, that does complicate things, it was probably better you didn't tell the police his name, or they would have called him to take you. He is quite powerful and runs most things in the region. I suppose, welcome to Austria. How long have you been here?"</p>
<p>"Since last night, I think."</p>
<p>"You must be so worried, then, about him coming after you. I think we can keep things quiet and get you back to your parents." She watched Amanda's head nodding and her eyes closing. She said, "You must be exhausted after your ordeal. Have you eaten anything?"</p>
<p>"No. I think it has been four or five days. I'm not sure."</p>
<p>"Lukas, can you call back and have our kitchen prepare some breakfast and see if we can find her some clothing."</p>
<p>"Yes, your highness."</p>
<p>She glanced over at Amanda, slumped over on Lukas, sleeping under her overcoat like nothing happened. She motioned and he passed his cellphone. She watched the video several times, and thought, <em>If you blink, you miss it. He was clumsy and she got a lucky shot, but h</em><em>e clearly didn't expect to be the one being </em><em>attacked.</em></p>
<p>She smiled, and stared out at the icy countyside.</p>
<p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in Seattle, Wook looked out over the Thursday night MMA practice and noted Sandra and Amanda's absence. He sighed and made a mental note to check on them.</p>
<p>Saturday afternoon, a white fullsize pickup truck parked on the street in front of The Prentice's yellow Suburban Seattle house. He noted Sandra and Misty's cars parked out in front. He braced himself against the endless cold rain, and got out. He ambled to the door, reached towards the doorbell, and noticed it cracked open.</p>
<p>He poked the door with his foot and it swung open, revealing splintered fragments of wood hanging off the inside of the door jamb. He slowly crept in, calling out, "Sandra? Misty? Amanda? You guys in here? It's me, Wook."</p>
<p>He walked through the house, walking into each room, smelling, and carefully checking, but found it empty. He grimaced, pulled his phone out, and made a call.</p>
<p>An hour later, Jeremy, a tall, blonde fighter from the gym met Wook, and they walked through the house. Jeremy transformed himself into a Bludbaden werewolf, and sniffed through each room. They stopped at the dried blood in Amanda's room. He smelled, and said, "That's Sandra's."</p>
<p>"What are you picking up? I got Hundjager and Lowen, besides their family."</p>
<p>"Yep, except there were two different crews of Hundjager and only one of Lowen."</p>
<p>"How so?"</p>
<p>Jeremy paused, thought, and said, "The first group was nine Hundjager and four Lowen. They took Amanda, Sandra, and Misty. The more recent was eleven Hundjager and one Kehrsite."</p>
<p>"Hmmm. That many Hundjager? That's got to be Verrat."</p>
<p>"Oh, yeah, the Hundjager are all German and Austrian. The Lowen are American. They smell like, not from around here... I'm pretty sure they're from the midwest."</p>
<p>"Two teams a couple days apart? Are we dealing with some sort of war between Royals?"</p>
<p>"Maybe. Probably. You know how they are, always going at each other."</p>
<p>"True. Hey, I'm calling the cops. You want to hang around and make a statement about coming here to check on them and finding the place broken into and them missing?</p>
<p>Wook walked out front. He slid his phone out and dialed.</p>
<p>A few hours later, Wook and Jeremy stood in the oak trimmed kitchen with a police officer while six others checked through the house. The officer fist bumped them, leaned in close, and whispered, "Hey, what did you guys find?"</p>
<p>"Hundjagers."</p>
<p>"I got that too."</p>
<p>"Probably Verrat, and you know what that means."</p>
<p>"Royals?"</p>
<p>"Most likely."</p>
<p>"Do we need to bring HW in on this?"</p>
<p>"I don't think we have a choice. I just hope they're still alive."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.6k 1/18/21 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Dinner plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The princess is trying to gain some insight into her new Grimm, while Misty and Sandra's troubles have just begun.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 19<br/>Dinner plans</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The Princess stood, towering over Amanda, in the castle's ornate dining room. She laid a hand behind Amanda's shoulder, and said, "Amanda, we've been working with the authorities on some kidnapping and sex trafficking cases. You may be our big break. Would you be willing to review some case files and tell me what you know?"</p><p>Amanda nodded.</p><p>She opened a manilla folder, laid three pictures on the table, and said, "This is Prince Maximillian Konigsberg zu Bowles-Lyon von Renard. He collects young girls, has his way with them in his dungeon, then either sells them off, or kills them."</p><p>She pushed a set of silver candlesticks to the side, spread a stack of pictures across the lace tablecloth, drummed her fingernails, and said, "These are members of his security team. Have you seen any of them?"</p><p>Amanda nodded.</p><p>"Do you mind picking out the ones you have seen.</p><p>Amanda peered, inspecting and touching each picture one by one, then said, "All of them."</p><p>"You've seen all of these men? Including this one, the prince's head of security?"</p><p>The princess said, sliding a photo of a brown suited man across the table.</p><p>Amanda nodded.</p><p>"And they had the girls?"</p><p>Amanda gritted her teeth, pointed at several of them, and said, "Yes, and these were on the airplane."</p><p>"Oh, and you escaped from them?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>The princess spread another stack, and said, "Have you seen any of these young women? Take your time."</p><p>Amanda inspected the pictures one by one. Her eyes turned red as she silently stared. She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and quietly nodded.</p><p>"Can you identify the girls you saw?"</p><p>Amanda slid ten pictures across and laid them in front of The Princess.</p><p>"You've seen them? Are you sure?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Do you know any of them personally?"</p><p>Amanda picked up picture of a heavy set, black haired girl, stared for a minute then wiped her wrist across her nose. Finally, she passed it to The Princess.</p><p>The Princess gently rubbed Amanda's back, and said, "I'm so sorry."</p><p>"She was my best friend."</p><p>"What is her name?"</p><p>"Miriam Schwartz."</p><p>"Oh my, so Maximillian has your best friend Miriam, you must be so worried. I can't imagine. Where did you see them last? On the airplane?"</p><p>"No. In Vancouver."</p><p>"Vancouver? Is that where they were held?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"You will have to excuse my geography, but where is that?"</p><p>"In Canada."</p><p>"Were you held with them, there?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"But they were being held there? You saw them?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"How did you see them there?"</p><p>Amanda stood like a stone as tears rolled down her cheeks. She shook her head side to side and bit her lip. Her eyes twitched and she bolted out of the dining room, fled down the marble tiled hallway past sculptures, paintings, and ancient tapestries, and disappeared into the castle.</p><p>The princess tapped Miriam's picture against her fingers, smirked, and called Lukas to her office.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A pair of yellow eyes sliced through the icy darkness and a grumbling growl cut the silence.</p><p>"Honey, are you ok?" Misty's voice whispered, teeth chattering.</p><p>"I will be. It's better if I don't think about it." Sandra quietly replied. She pulled her eyes closed, shrouding their fiery glow, and exhaled. "I'm just so... Hungry."</p><p>Misty felt her way across the bumpy metal floor and huddled against Sandra. She laid her head on Sandra's chest, wrapped her hands under her back, and nestled herself in, teeth rattling.</p><p>Sandra's rumbling stomach echoed again in the dark. She arched her back, away from the shock of Misty's icy hands piercing through her long sleeve shirt. The rusty chain hitched to Sandra's neck clanked and ground as she rubbed her cold fingertips through Misty's hair and across her cheek. She opened her eyes, allowing their eerie glow to dapple the inside of the corrugated metal container.</p><p>The white cloud of her breath floated inches above her face, mingling with Misty's breath, and slowly rose. A few dusty snow flakes fluttered back down, as Sandra winced and forced her eyes closed. She slowly inhaled, filling her nostrils, then exhaled, and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and nose. She gritted her teeth, and said, "It's better if you don't do this now. You know what they're trying to make me do."</p><p>Misty brushed her hand across Sandra's face, and tears dribbled down the point of her nose. "But I'm so cold."</p><p>"So am I, but, I just can't. I'm so... Hungry."</p><p>"I'm so sorry."</p><p>Sandra pushed Misty off, and said, "Hon, it's not your fault they're feeding you. You know why they're doing this."</p><p>"Do you think they can hear us?"</p><p>"What? Why?"</p><p>Misty felt through the dark, laid her fingers on Sandra's arm, and asked, "What's your gag reflex like?"</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"This will probably gross you out. But I swallowed some food. It's a momma Steinadler thing, but... I could, give you some."</p><p>Sandra paused, then said, "Like put your beak down my throat, and vomit into my stomach?"</p><p>"Yes"</p><p>Sandra's body shuddered, and nausea welled up inside her from the mental image. Her abdomen clenched, she burped, and the stench of stomach acid wafted through her nostrils.</p><p>"You ok?"</p><p>Sandra shook her head side to side, fanned her hand past her nose, winced, and said, "I don't think I'll be able to. I'm sorry."</p><p>Her stomach growled again, but she sighed and closed her eyes to the dusty snowflakes fluttering onto her face.</p><p>Her body shook and convulsed from the cold, waking her up, an instant before banging rocked their metal shipping container. The doors flew open and bright white seared her eyes. She pulled her hands over her eyes, then heard footsteps and a loud electric crackling.</p><p>A man's voice called out, "Lowen! Up!"</p><p>She pushed up into a crouch, and readied herself to pounce at the shadow of a man shrouded in white.</p><p>"Lowen, get any bright ideas and you and your friend both get it."</p><p>A blue spark crackled, Misty shrieked, and Sandra jumped, slamming the end of her chain, and slashing her claws into the empty shadow.</p><p>"Well, well, well," a second man's voice rumbled, "A feisty one! Bring the Lowen out, and get her ready."</p><p>Two men circled Sandra in the cargo container. She snarled at them, and started towards the first, when an electric jolt rocked her. One man jerked the chain and started pulling her out.</p><p>She leaned and strained against the chain, but he yanked, throwing her forward. The two men leaned against her chain, dragging her across the steel floor and tossing her headfirst into the snow. Her eyes slowly adjusted revealing dusk, bare trees, and a trail of footsteps through snow drifted ground that ended in front of her orange shipping container. She pushed up and took a step forward, scrubbing at the caked snow.</p><p>They jerked the chain again. She trudged past a barbed wire fence, pens of hunting dogs, a row of parked cars, and two heavy horse trailers, as the metal container doors creaked and banged shut behind her.</p><p>They lead her through the door of a large metal building and hitched her chain to a rough wooden post. A broad shouldered man, with short cropped gray hair and a square jaw, threw a bikini top and a pair of shiny spandex shorts at her feet, and grunted, "Put that on. It's time for you to fight for your dinner."</p><p>She spit at him.</p><p>He wogued into a Lowen, revealing a thick grayish mane, round shoulders, giant, square hands, and thick forearms. He backhand slapped her and jabbed the electric cattle prod onto her chain.</p><p>She jerked, convulsed, and slashed at the shocks, but finally, her knees buckled and she fell, crashing against the chain on her neck. She gasped, groped for her footing on the icy concrete, and pushed back up to her feet.</p><p>A second man tore her shirt and pants loose. She slashed at him, but the other man zapped her chain again, locking her jaws against her own screams and filling her nostrils with the scent of ozone.</p><p>The gray haired man shrugged, and said, "Your choice. Fight naked if you want. It's popular with the crowds."</p><p>"I'm not fighting!"</p><p>"You're going in the ring either way, so do whatever. I sort of doubt your friend is much of a fighter."</p><p>She jerked and slashed her claws while he chuckled.</p><p>He said, "That's fine, the other fighters are hungry, so we'll feed her to them. Your choice. If you win, it's all you can eat."</p><p>Her stomach growled, and she said, "Lowen games?"</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>"I'll fight if you promise to let me keep her. She's mine."</p><p>A smug grin filled his face, and he said, "We'll talk about it if you win."</p><p>She glared, then held out her hand, and said "My clothes?" He pointed at her feet. She stripped down, covering herself with her torn clothes, crouched over the the tiny top and shorts, and shimmied into them.</p><p>She waited, shivering, while clanking, shouts, and cheering echoed from somewhere out of sight.</p><p>"You're up!" The man growled, and jerked her chain. Two men stood at the ready with cattle prods while a third unhooked the chain from her neck.</p><p>"That way, to the ring!"</p><p>She planted her feet but the stabbing jolts shocked her forward. She trudged, thronged by the crowd packed full of cheering and howling men and women, towards a large steel fenced ring. They shoved her through a tall, chain link gate onto the beige pavement, and stabbed the cattle prods into her until she jumped away from the door.</p><p>She grabbed the cage and yelled at them. They laughed and poked the prods against the bars, wracking her body with electricity until she jumped back.</p><p>The man smirked, and said, "You're a Lowen, so I'll let you pick your weapon first."</p><p>She glanced around, trying to collect her bearings as steam lifted off her skin. Memories flashed through her mind of being forced into a ring like this by her grandfather, and she narrowed her eyes.</p><p>She bounced on her toes, flexed, stretched, and paced the concrete circle, recalling her professional fighting days, forcing her adrenaline up, and silently thanking Wook, Jeremy, Ronnie, and yes, even Lauren, for unmercifully pounding the savagery back into her. She eyed several dented shields, a rusty sword, a brown mace, a morning star with jagged teeth, and a javelin with a broken shaft.</p><p>She grabbed a pair of rusty vambraces and slid them over her forearms. She rummaged through the pile in the corner, and slid a left hand gauntlet over her hand and snatched up the lance.</p><p>The man's voice boomed into the crowd while she circled and drove her adrenaline up. "Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a treat for tonight's opening women's fight! We've got new blood, and she's a Lowen! Let's see how she does against The Crusher!"</p><p>The crowd roared, cheered, and chanted, "Crusher! Crusher! Crusher!"</p><p>The men shoved a stout, muscular woman, with tattoos covering her arms and chest, into the ring. She gritted her teeth, wogued, and raised her hands up, pointing her fingers at the sky. She snorted, blowing a cloud of steam into the air, while trotting around the ring. She stomped to the middle of the ring, revealing the black horns, purple skin, and ox-like features of a Heftigarouch.</p><p>The Heftigarouche stuck her finger straight at Sandra, snorted, and started taunting, "Mmmm! So pretty! I like your nails. Well, pretty lady, I'm sorry, but there's no desk work around here."</p><p>The woman stomped heavily around the ring and shook her head side to side. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you like this, but how did you end up here? Your dentist husband got tired of your endless whining? Maybe your BMW wasn't good enough? I bet he's banging the secretary isn't he. You found out, tried to divorce him, and ended up here, right? Well, today is your lucky day."</p><p>Sandra's stomach growled, her mouth started watering, and she licked her lips.</p><p>The woman stomped around the ring and grabbed a morning star. She yelled, "So you're supposed to be a Lowen? Here kitty kitty kitty! You think you're strong, Mrs. Dentist! Ready to take the bull by the horns! I'll have you in eight seconds! There's no hiding in your gated community tonight."</p><p>Sandra lowered her stance, and the Heftigarouch charged at her, slashing her horns and swinging a morning star..</p><p>She feinted left and kicked her foot out, tripping the woman in her bull rush. The woman crashed into the cage, and Sandra rushed in, pounding punches into her kidneys.</p><p>The woman pushed back off the cage, and swung wildly. Sandra backed off while the woman rubbed her sides and chuckled. She grinned, circled towards Sandra, and said, "So, you had some Tai Chi classes? Maybe a little yoga? Think that back massage will help you get on my good side? It turns out I'm from a gated community, as well, but the gates in mine keep me in. So let's do this!"</p><p>Sandra twisted her head and revealed her tawny mane and flattened feline features, She extended and retracted her claws, then started bouncing on her toes.</p><p>The Heftigarouche snorted out another cloud of steam, scraped her foot on the pavement, and said, "You got any last words?"</p><p>Sandra smirked, and muttered, "You smell delicious."</p><p>The woman stood bolt upright, dropped her hands, and exclaimed, "What did you say!"</p><p>Sandra pounced the instant she dropped her guard, hooking her claws into the woman's meaty neck. She twisted, and slung the Heftigarouche over her hip onto the cement floor face first and she followed, hooking into the woman's back.</p><p>The woman snorted, jumped, and rolled onto her back, flailing her arms at Sandra, and trying to bash her with elbows. The woman arched her back and ground Sandra across the rough cement.</p><p>Sandra held fast, slithering her arms inside. She wormed her forearm around the Heftigarouche's neck, and started working. Inch by inch, the Heftigarouche slid and wormed her way into Sandra's choke hold. She finally locked her wrist, wrapped her knee over the woman's leg and hauled back.</p><p>The woman flailed, trying to hook her shiny horns into Sandra. She arched her back and ground Sandra across the exposed gravel as she tried to force her fingers under Sandra's arms. Sandra licked under her ear and whispered, "Mmmm! Delicious!"</p><p>The Heftigarouche screamed, flailed, and shook, white eyed. She pushed and twisted, trying to escape as Sandra squeezed her forearms into the woman's neck. She wrenched with one last frenzied jerk, then her arms and body fell limp.</p><p>The Heftigarouche's meaty scent filled Sandra's nostrils. She sank her teeth deep into it's neck, tore out a chunk, and swallowed.</p><p>Hunger washed over her. The world around her slowed to a crawl as she rolled the purple Wesen off, climbed on top, and ripped the woman's chest open. She started cramming rich, delicious organ meat into her mouth.</p><p>The crowd exploded, roaring, whistling, and chanting, "Eat! Eat! Eat!"</p><p>She ripped and tore with both hands, gulping without even chewing.</p><p>Footsteps echoed behind her, and she whirled as a man slammed a kick towards her. She hooked her claws into his leg and hauled herself up his chest. He transformed himself into a Shackal, revealing flattened canine features and scruffy brown hair. He tried to punch at her as she twined around him. His pleas to the men outside the ring turned to screaming as he flailed and batted at her. She dragged him to the ground, ripped his throat out, and flashed back to the Heftigarauch, hunching over her kill.</p><p>The crowd exploded in elation and cheering, roaring their ecstasy. She crouched low, ripping chunks out of the Heftigarouch at her feet, and cramming them in her mouth while the Shackal's body behind her slowly twitched and gurgled.</p><p>Two men marched in with lassos and cattle prods. She crouched over the body, extended her claws, and snarled, "Mine!"</p><p>They circled her and started flashing the prods, filling the air with blue sparks and the scent of ozone. The first man whipped his lasso, barely missing her arm. She grabbed it, hauled as hard as she could, knocking him off balance, and pounced. She flew onto him, slashing her claws deep into his neck and chest, but his partner stabbed his prod into her back. She ripped into the man below her, tearing and slashing while every muscle in her body screamed until they locked. Finally the convulsions overwhelmed her and the world went black.</p><p>Icy water wracked her body and she jerked, screaming and huffing. She found herself hanging shackled in the darkness with a single light glowing above her. Both hands were chained together, pulled towards the top of the rough, wooden pole behind her, while her ankles were shackled a shoulder's width apart.</p><p>The gray haired man hosed her face, sending red rivulets of icy water down her body, into a pool at her feet. "Wakey wakey, honey," he growled, "I think we found our new headliner!"</p><p>She snarled and snapped her jaws. He ran a warm hand up the side of her muscular thigh and hip, along her flat belly, across her breast, up her neck, and finally caressed her blood stained cheek. She snapped her teeth, trying to catch his fingers, and fought her shaking body's instinct to draw towards his warmth. She flashed her eyes yellow, and growled, "I'll kill you!"</p><p>"Mmmm! Now that's what I like in a Lowen! A fighter! You made us proud tonight. For now, though, we've got to wash you up and get you ready for your next fight."</p><p>He ran his fingertips across her red stained cheek, towards her lips, and said, "Mmmm! I think you'll clean up nicely!"</p><p>He ran his hand back down her bikini top, cupped her butt cheek, and whispered, "Maybe you and I could work out an arrangement."</p><p>She snarled, and spit in his eyes.</p><p>He chuckled, wiping his forefinger over his eyes and flicking the blob onto the cement floor. He turned his back to her, ambling away, and waved his fingers in a circle over his head. He called out, "Get her washed up."</p><p>She gritted her teeth when another man squirted the hose. Her body convulsed and shook as the icy water blasted, burning until numbness consumed her, and then two more men scrubbed her from head to toe with brushes.</p><p>Finally, they scrubbed handfuls of salt into her raw back, knees, and arms. She jumped, shook, and yelled as the burn soaked into her bones.</p><p>They peeled her wet clothing off, pitched her a flannel bath robe, dragged her back through the snow, and tossed her into the the metal shipping container, tripping and stumbling over Misty before crashing to the floor.</p><p>"Here." One of the men snickered as he tossed a single, worn blanket in after her, and locked the door.</p><p>Misty clambered over, gently lifted her up, ran her fingers through Sandra's wet hair, kissed her, and said, "Are you ok? I was so worried. I thought they killed you."</p><p>Sandra winced from Misty's cold hands touching her raw skin. She touched Misty's cheek, wiped the wetness out of her eyes, and pressed her forehead into Misty's.</p><p>Misty said, "You're hurt. Let me see."</p><p>Sandra turned, felt Misty's gentle fingertips on her back, arms, and knees, and heard her gasp as she grimaced.</p><p>Misty grumbled under her breath, and said, "I need to get you cleaned up with antiseptic and ointment. All they did was scrub salt into it?"</p><p>"Got any handy, Nurse Prentice?"</p><p>"No, but still. Did they at least give you some food?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"What happened?"</p><p>"I had to fight for it. I'm ok. Let's find that blanket."</p><p>An hour later, Sandra's adrenaline started dissipating and her mind slowed it's frenetic rush. She stopped pacing circles around the inside of the black box, and laid down next to Misty.</p><p>Sandra wrapped around Misty's shaking body, and whispered, "These aren't the people who kidnapped us."</p><p>"What? How did you know?"</p><p>"I can smell them, and they didn't threaten me about Amanda, just you."</p><p>"Wait, so do you know who kidnapped us?"</p><p>Sandra gritted her teeth, and silently hissed, "Connie, her family, and a bunch of Hundjagers. I'm going to rip their throats out, but first, we have to get out of here."</p><p>Misty rolled towards her, wrapped herself around Sandra, nestled her head in Sandra's shoulder, and whispered, "Fight? Like one person, or some sort of fight club?"</p><p>"It's Lowen Gladiator fights. I think they sold us to the Lowen who runs it."</p><p>"Those are actually a real thing?"</p><p>Sandra gritted her teeth. Tears welled up into her eyes as she remembered those summers, trapped in hell by her grandfather, where she fought for her food, and he beat and starved her when she lost. She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, and said, "I wish they weren't. My grandfather made me fight in them. That's how I started fighting."</p><p>"Your grandfather? The one who...?"</p><p>She clenched her jaws and ground her teeth, then wiped tears out of her eyes as repressed memories flooded back. She finally said, "Yes, that one. I met the guy who runs it. I swear, I'm going to kill him."</p><p>"I'm guessing he's one of those Alpha male, red-pill types."</p><p>"One hundred and ten percent."</p><p>Misty thought for a while, then whispered, "I've got an idea, but you're not going to like it."</p><p>She cupped her hand over Sandra's ear and whispered.</p><p>Sandra gritted her teeth, flashed her eyes fiery yellow, and snarled. She ground her teeth, and finally whispered back, "You're right. I'd rather die."</p><p>Misty whispered, "It may be our only chance."</p><p>Sandra snarled into the darkness, then groaned.</p><p>Misty asked, "What about Amanda?"</p><p>"There's a part of me that I buried years ago, when I met you. I'm not sure I'll be able to control it, if I allow that side of myself back."</p><p>"Is it really fight or die?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Misty cringed, but kept her cold body wrapped around Sandra's. She finally snuggled her head in and said, "Well, I'm glad you lived."</p><p>She paused and smelled Sandra, then slowly said, "So, you ate Wesen tonight?"</p><p>Sandra pulled her face against Misty and started sobbing. She finally whimpered, "They were going to feed you to the fighters. They were going to eat you alive. I.. I couldn't let them."</p><p>"I know I made you swear you would never do that again, but this is different, and I'm not judging you." Misty ran her fingertips through Sandra's hair, and said, "It's ok. We've got to do whatever it takes to get out of here, and get our daughter back."</p><p>Tears welled up in Sandra's eyes as the prospect of re-living the nightmares she had spent years beating back rammed headlong into her consciousness. She drew herself into Misty's shoulder, sobbing, and rocking while Misty caressed her fingers through the back of her hair and petted her back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>4k 2/5/20 r1</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Delivery Boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Prince makes a move to claim Amanda, and she makes a new friend.</p>
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    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 20<br/>Delivery Boy</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>"I'm here to collect the girl," declared the red-haired mountain of a man standing before The Princess in the gold and silver crusted foyer. He wore a bored scowl, fidgeting side to side, and shuffling his feet. He said, "So, I'd like to get going, if you don't mind."</p><p>The princess looked him over, taking note of the thick callouses on his knuckles and the ill-fitting brown suit that looked like he kept it wadded in the trunk of his car, and said, "To whom do I owe the honor of your visit."</p><p>"Prince Maximillian sent me. He wants the girl."</p><p><em>Oh, so this is how it's going to be Maximillian?</em> The Princess thought to herself as she put on her best saccharine smile, and said, "I'd prefer to talk business in my office, if you'll follow me. Can I offer you a drink?"</p><p>He politely nodded, trudged up the stairs, and through the carved walnut doors into her office, while she tapped out a quick text message.</p><p>She poured two glasses of brandy out of the crystal decanter on her desk and set one in his hand. She sipped hers while he watched, finally sipped his, and smiled.</p><p>He said, "The girl?"</p><p>"Please forgive my confusion, but this is the first I have heard of the matter. Maximillian and I have not spoken about this. I hate to waste your time like this. Can you come back once we have reached an agreement."</p><p>"I'm leaving here with the girl. So you either send her with me, or I take her."</p><p>"Tell me, why is he interested in this girl?"</p><p>"Honestly, I don't care. I'm just the delivery boy, and I'd like to get going."</p><p>"Did he tell you she's a Grimm?"</p><p>He simply shrugged, and said, "Doesn't matter. Whatever."</p><p>"And if I refuse?"</p><p>He lifted a marble bust of Aristotle off a carved rosewood pedestal, hefted it, gazed into it's face, and said, "We cannot learn without pain, eh."</p><p>He squeezed and crackling echoed from his square hands. Broken chunks and dust dribbled and bounced onto the floor. He wiped the chalky residue on his rumpled pants, and said, "I've never had anyone refuse."</p><p>A smile crept across her lips and her eyes twinkled as she said, "I'll fight you for her."</p><p>He groaned again, pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, rubbed his eyes, and said. "The prince won't be happy."</p><p>"Tell him I refused, and you had no choice."</p><p>She kicked off her red high heels, slid her feet into a pair of brown flats hidden under the desk, pulled a pair of basket hilted rapiers off the wall, and tossed him one. He caught it, laid it on her desk, crossed his arms, and scowled.</p><p>"I won't tell him if you won't, or would you rather I call him myself and tell him I sent you away, empty handed?"</p><p>"I have my orders."</p><p>She flicked the tip of the rapier across his sleeve, slicing it open. "Come on! Haven't you ever wanted to beat a stuck up, whiny, silver spoon in her mouth, insufferable bitch of a Royal to death?"</p><p>He poked his finger into the hole in his sleeve, and grinned. "Every single day of my life."</p><p>"It's not exactly like the families are in short supply, and I can assure you, no tears will be shed over me."</p><p>"I sort of got that impression."</p><p>"So Maximillian already gave you the orders to kill me?"</p><p>"In not so many words, yes."</p><p>She flicked the rapier again, this time nicking his arm through a second gash in his sleeve.</p><p>A hint of a grin creased one corner of his mouth, and he said, "Well, since you're challenging me to a duel, I choose the weapons."</p><p>He picked up the four foot tall, polished rosewood column the bust was sitting on, hefted it in one hand, sighting down it's spiral woodwork towards it's square base, and smiled.</p><p>"Your privilege, but admittedly, I'm not particularly honorable. I'm keeping the sword."</p><p>He laughed out loud, pulled off his jacket, tossed it into a chair, unbuttoned his sleeves and collar, tapped the column against his left hand like a bat, and said, "It's all the same to me."</p><p>He paused, leaning on top of the four inch thick column as if it were a mere swagger stick in his hand, rolled his meaty shoulders, and said, "I've always wanted to do this."</p><p>She raised the tip of her sword, crouched into position, and lunged, thrusting at him. He twisted, dodging her thrust, and kicked the post with the side of his foot, catching her fully extended, and slinging her backwards across the room, crashing into the wall behind her desk.</p><p>She hit the floor in a shower of plaster. She gasped and scrambled on all fours as he heaved the column like an axe, smashing her desk in half, and pelting her with a cloud of rosewood splinters, paperwork, and office supplies.</p><p>He whirled the club through the desk and swung it sideways at her head. She ducked and thrust the sword into his forearm. He grabbed the shaft of the sword as if it was a twig, and kicked straight into her, sending her and her sword careening into wall beside the fireplace mantle.</p><p>He swung, shivering the mantle as she clambered after her sliding blade. She slung a fireplace poker at him, and he batted it away as if brushing lint.</p><p>She grabbed her sword and scrabbled to her feet. She thrust it into his raised elbows, and caught him in the bottom of his arm. He jerked, slapping her through the doorway into the marble lined hall. He yanked the blade out, laughed, and pitched it at her.</p><p>He twisted his head and transformed, growing another eighteen inches taller. His shoulders broadened, his muscles swelled, and his arms grew bigger than a normal man's legs. His face turned scowling and blubbery, covered with a sparse coat of curly red hair, and he roared.</p><p>She gaped at the Siegbarste and scrambled to catch her skittering blade. She barely got one leg under herself when a Louis XIV chair went careening past her head and smashed a marble bust of St. Augustine.</p><p>She pushed up and lunged back through the doorway at him, stabbing into his leg. He backhanded her, sending her sliding backwards on the white marble floor into a light blue column. The column tottered and a blue porcelain vase with white cherry trees dropped. She rolled to her feet, as the Ming vase shattered on the floor, and she charged back towards the office.</p><p>The ogre's laugh shook his swollen belly, as he smashed his shoulders through the carved doorway, now woefully undersized for his nine-foot tall frame.</p><p>She charged and stabbed the rapier into his stomach.</p><p>He grabbed her and tossed her like a ragdoll, then wrenched the carved lintel loose and threw it at her. It cartwheeled down the hallway, crashing more sculptures and paintings, before jabbing into a medieval mural of the Austrian countryside.</p><p>She pushed up to her knees. His booming laugh echoed down the hall. Her sword flew, bouncing down the hallway, and rolled to a stop against her wrists. She wiped the back of her hand across her nose and mouth, stood up, and trotted back down the hallway towards him.</p><p>She lowered her shoulder and dodged her way through a hail of blue and orange vases, small Chinese soldiers, and stoneware horses, deflecting as many as she could with her sword, but she shuddered as they shattered against her ribs and legs.</p><p>She parried his club and thrust into his chest, immediately hauling back as quickly as she could to avoid losing her blade yet again. He swung his left hand, batting her backwards, and he swung the column over his head, creasing the ceiling before crushing a dent deep into the marble floor as she rolled away.</p><p>She stabbed into his inner thigh, but he kicked her loose and sent her flying into the opposite wall. She crashed onto the floor, shook the cobwebs out of her head, and found herself face to face with Amanda.</p><p>Amanda pulled her to her feet, and the giant laughed. "Considerate as always, Princess. Prince Maximillian will appreciate your efforts to surrender the girl to me."</p><p>The princess pushed Amanda back, flashed her eyes gray, and said, "Go! Amanda, run!" but he tore an ancient tapestry off the wall and cast it like a net, snaring the girl.</p><p>Amanda transformed and clawed herself free, revealing her black mane and flattened feline features, and leapt straight at the ogre.</p><p>The ogre stopped, let out a booming belly laugh, and exclaimed, "Ha! Will you look at that. I've never seen a kitty cat Grimm before. She's so tiny and cute. Like a little elf!"</p><p>He snatched a lock of her mane, hauled her up to his face, and snickered with amusement while she slashed and kicked.</p><p>Amanda sliced her toes through her shoes and swung her legs, clawing into him, tearing and ripping at his arm and face.</p><p>He batted her with a huge open palm, rocking her like a bobblehead. He chuckled and said, "Tisk tisk kitten. You're a feisty one aren't you?"</p><p>Amanda shook her head, latched her claws back in, and started biting chunks out of his forearm. She sliced her hair loose, dropped to her feet, and ripped deep into his inner thighs while ducking between his legs.</p><p>He craned around backwards and reached, while The Princess lunged, stabbing thrust after thrust a into his chest and back.</p><p>Amanda hooked her claws in, climbed up his back, and ripped into his tree trunk of a neck.</p><p>He slammed and ground his back against a door jamb, crushing Amanda into the carved woodwork, while The Princess continued her assault, stabbing the blade into him. He tore the post off the door jamb and swung it, knocking The Princess twenty feet down the hallway, where she dented the wall and crumpled. He lunged, swinging the post over his head, crushing blow after blow into the marble floor while The Princess dodged, rolled, and scrambled.</p><p>Amanda jumped and clawed her way up to his neck again and started tearing. He swatted, knocking her to the floor, and snarled, "Oh, you're a nippy little kitten, aren't you. Well, what Prince Maximillian wants, Prince Maximillian gets!"</p><p>Amanda leapt and scurried back up the giant while The Princess lunged at him again, stabbing the sword through his arm. He snickered, and backhanded her, sending her careening and bouncing down the hall. He laughed, and said, "Well, well, well, a pin, just what I need."</p><p>He yanked the sword out with his left hand, and with the other, grabbed Amanda's head and ripped her free. He smashed her against a doorpost, and pounded the rapier through her chest. He grunted, driving the point completely through the carved woodwork and swung his fist across the tip, bending it over and locking her in place. He gloated, wagging his finger as Amanda struggled. "Now, promise me, kitten, that you won't go running off on me. The Princess and I have been toying around, enjoying a spot of fun, but I've got a job to do for The Prince, and I've got to quit loafing off or he will be cross. I promise I won't be but another minute or two."</p><p>The Princess smashed a jade dragon across his back and swung kick after kick into him. He swatted straight down, crushing her to the floor. He picked her up by the foot and flogged her against the wall, smashing through a gold framed painting. He grabbed her hair and swung her straight up, bashing her into the coffered ceiling, and threw her, like a rag doll, through a set of carved double doors, into another marble hallway.</p><p>He grabbed a bronze bust of Charlemagne and hurled it at her. It bounced, inches from her head, splashing marble shards into her face as it flew over her and careened down the hallway. He grabbed the carved column which had supported it and trudged towards her. He hurled another blue and white Ming vase, which crashed across her head, battering her to the floor.</p><p>She lay there, eyes swollen shut, drooling blood from her mouth and nose, and head ringing. She rolled over and gasped when a dark shadow blocked the light. She raised her hand, and her world went black.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Lukas sprinted up the stairway, hurdling the shattered columns and doors strewn through the marble hallway, while muttering, "No assistance is needed, my ass! You're supposed to be smart. You were educated in the finest schools in all of Europe. And, you know about Wesen. So, what could have possibly possessed you to pick a fight with a Siegbarste!"</p><p>He marched, shoulders forward, and snapped the triangular stock into place on the submachine gun slung over his shoulder as he sped through the broken wreckage which had formerly been part of a priceless art collection. He levered an orange magazine into place as he hopped over the shredded remnants of sixteenth century tapestries, ripped and torn Rembrandt's and Van Gogh's, mangled bronze sculptures, and shattered marble.</p><p>He charged ahead, bringing the gun to his shoulder when he spied the giant gripping a carved rosewood column over his head. At his feet lay The Princess, struggling to raise one arm.</p><p>The ogre bent his knees and flexed the muscles in his abdomen. The square end of the column bobbed behind his back, he hauled his elbows over, grunted, and swung it like a splitting maul.</p><p>Lukas yelled and squeezed the trigger of his orange gripped submachine gun. He leaned in and marched as it's choppy roar filled the castle. A ten-foot fireball belched into the gold-crusted hallway and a hail of orange streaks punched the giant's back. A waterfall of green empty cases clattered off the ceiling and opposite wall, jingling and rolling behind him while the princess shrieked and writhed on the floor under a shower of plaster and sticky red.</p><p>The giant's body convulsed, and his red-spotted white shirt tore into a red splash. His weapon crushed into the coffered ceiling, bringing a rain of plaster and carved trim-work down on his head. He shook his head, turned, and heaved his giant club at Lukas.</p><p>Lukas marched through the acrid, gray haze, dropping to one knee under the careening column as it smashed a crystal chandelier, crushed a gold sconce, and finally punched through the carved doorway behind him. He fired a second burst into the ogre, dotting the center of his chest with red.</p><p>The ogre roared and clawed at glowing orange specs shining deep within him, then coughed frothy red, spat and stormed towards Lukas, who snapped a new magazine in place, marched forward, and fired into the furious giant.</p><p>The ogre grabbed a bronze horse sculpture and lifted it over his head to hurl as Lukas closed on him.</p><p>Lukas dropped the magazine, stepped over a shattered replica of Da Vinici's David, and levered a third magazine home. The blocky submachine gun belched fire, pouring thirty more rounds into the Siegbarste's head and chest.</p><p>The giant swayed and his head bobbed. The bronze horse snagged in a crystal chandelier, twisted backwards, tore the chandelier out of the ceiling, and dribbled out of his hands. It bumped off the top of his head, rolled down his back, crashed off the wall, bounced once, and landed on the princess in a shower of antique crystal, eliciting frenzied screaming. The ogre stood, gasping open mouthed, and wiped a raw forearm across his glassy eyes.</p><p>Lukas, not missing a single step, dropped the magazine, instantly rammed a fourth home, and poured it into the giant from a mere three paces, shredding the wall behind him, and showering the writhing princess in a red hail of glass, plaster, wood, and marble.</p><p>The monster tottered and his knees buckled as he crumpled. He reached out, smashed a hand into the wall, and ripped a long gash out of the paneling as he keeled over.</p><p>Lukas stood over the beast, racked a fifth magazine in, and taking no chances, emptied it into the Siegbarste's lifeless carcass.</p><p>He turned his attention to the princess, trembling, battered, and caked with shattered crystal and sticky plaster residue. She jerked and shrieked when he touched her. He laid the palm of his hand on her broken cheek, and said, "Shhhh. I've got you."</p><p>He unearthed her from the tangle of wiring, glass, and bronze, checked her pulse and gently wiped her face. He felt her arms and legs, then started hoisting her to her feet, supporting her on his shoulder, wobbly and stumbling.</p><p>She winced and cried out when his smoking machine gun sizzled against her arm. She jerked, nearly toppling backwards, leaving a shred of skin stuck to it's shimmering barrel.</p><p>He caught her, scooped her off her feet, and carried her, woozy and rambling, to a room filled with white cabinets, a white Formica countertop, and a stainless steel sink. He laid her on a beige recliner bed, wiped her swollen eyes with a wet rag, and put the doctor and nurses to work.</p><p>Worry crossed her purple face. She tugged his hand, and mumbled, "Amanda?"</p><p>"Was Amanda involved?"</p><p>"The library. Go."</p><p>He set two armed Verrat agents on watch over her, then nodded and marched out.</p><p>Taking no chances, he levered another orange bakelite magazine into his smoking submachine gun and trotted towards the library.</p><p>He paused outside the door, listening, and then twisted through the doorway, covering the room with the barrel of his gun. Once satisfied it was empty, save for the girl pinned to the door jamb, he set his attention on her.</p><p>Amanda was still pulling and twisting against the sword, but her sticky hands slid, unable to gain any traction on the shiny steel blade rammed through her chest below her collar bone.</p><p>He laid a gentle hand on her battered face, and said, "Shhh. It's bent. I'll have someone up soon to cut you loose."</p><p>Her breath wheezed and crackled as she said, "I'm stuck. Can you get me loose?"</p><p>He examined the rapier, rammed through the door jamb and bent to lock Amanda in place. He wrapped the point with his coat, grabbed ahold, and pulled with all his might. The narrow blade started bending, bounced, and snapped at the bend, sending a shock through Amanda that brought a yelp and a frothy, red coughing fit.</p><p>She grimaced, motioned to him, and said, "Can you pull it out?"</p><p>"We have to leave it in your chest until we can get the doctors working on you, but let me see if I can get it unstuck."</p><p>They pulled and jerked, dragging the broken end one half an inch into the carved walnut. She winced as the red stain on her back swelled. Her breathing grew hollow and ragged, but the sword locked and would not budge.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Amanda. We have to get tools. Let me get you as comfortable as I can while you wait here with Matheo."</p><p>He found Amanda a chair and propped her up. He ran a hand through his short cropped blonde hair and called downstairs to the workshop.</p><p>He put Matheo, a Verrat agent, with Amanda and rushed back down to The Princess.</p><p>He marched into the infirmary and stopped short, peering suspiciously at the middle aged, black haired woman berating the trembling doctor and nurses. He narrowed his eyes, firmed his grip on the submachine gun, and said, "Antonia?"</p><p>The woman turned, revealing her porcelain smooth skin, flawless complexion, and silky hair draped against a black Armani skirt suit. She crossed her arms, and said, "Lukas! What sort of mess are you dragging my princess into? And what are these clumsy oafs, who call themselves doctors, doing to her?"</p><p>He shifted the gun towards her and scowled.</p><p>She twisted her head, transforming herself into a mummified witch corpse. She ground her spiny teeth and barely twisted a curled finger, telekinetically shifting the gun's muzzle away from herself, while he stiffened and wrinkled his face in anger and disgust.</p><p>He said, "Antonia, let the doctors do their work. Her Highness decided to fight it out with a Siegbarste. She would be dead if I hadn't intervened."</p><p>"Lukas!"</p><p>"She said she didn't need me."</p><p>"And you know her better than that. It is the professional's job to keep a foolish and overly confident princess from getting herself murdered on your watch. Her father would have your head!"</p><p>The princess straightened, touched Antonia's arm, and mumbled, "Antonia, I told him to stand down."</p><p>"That is no excuse. This is on his watch. Do you think anyone will care what you told him? And you, young lady, should know better by now. Lukas is not here to rescue you from yourself. Now get them out of the way so I can get to work."</p><p>The bony witch pushed past the trembling doctor and nurses and extended her fingers, like brown spider's legs, onto The Princess's cheek. She ground mummified jaws as her fingers slinked and crept towards The Princess' eyes, blood crusted and swollen shut. She squinted her hollow, shriveled eyes and worked her bony fingers into the princess's blood blistered eyes. White and blue started returning as the crimson dissipated. Her hands crawled downward and the princess's nose shifted back into position. The deep cuts over her eyebrows and the bridge of her nose knitted and disappeared, while Antonia muttered about being up all night.</p><p>An hour later, the Verrat agent carried an incoherent Amanda, sword still stuck through her chest, into the infirmary. Red froth slowly crackled out of her mouth onto her pallid skin and her head lolled.</p><p>The Princess pushed Antonia's bony fingers out of her mouth, and said, "Please, I need you to attend to the girl."</p><p>Lukas butted in, "Your highness! Amanda needs proper medical attention, not Witchcraft. We need to get her to the hospital immediately."</p><p>Antonia laid a mummified hand against Amanda's chest and scowled at him, "Proper medical attention, he says! The girl will be dead before you get her to the hospital."</p><p>He gritted his teeth, and hissed, "And at what price?"</p><p>She smiled and wrapped her spidery fingers around his arm and pressed the exposed bone of her thumb into the crook of his elbow. She twisted her jaws, revealing spiny teeth through the missing gap in her dried lips. She closed her eyes, slowly inhaled through her nose, and said, "Lukas, you know my price."</p><p>He bristled and jerked away, glaring at the ancient witch, and finally grunted, "A dead Siegbarste?"</p><p>She transformed herself back into human form and turned up her nose. "Ugh, heavens no."</p><p>Lukas rubbed his forefinger and thumb in his eyes and groaned.</p><p>Antonia wiped a hand over her hair, straightening and smoothing it. She peered at the doctor and nurses, rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and said, "Come on, bring her to the kitchen and set her up on a table. Our so called 'medical professional' here can prescribe ice and aspirin for the princess while I sort out this girl. I'll need a nurse to help me prepare supplies."</p><p>Both nurses jerked straight up and stood like stones, inching backwards towards the cream colored door. She pointed at one and said, "You look competent enough to boil water and sterilize some knives. Come on, let's get on with this."</p><p>All the color drained out of the nurse's face. She pulled up straight and winced her eyes while the other exhaled and relaxed.</p><p>Antonia pointed at the three Verrat and said, "Well? Come on. Get her down to the kitchen."</p><p>They gulped, nodded, and hoisted Amanda's limp body.</p><p>The Princess laid a bruised hand on Antonia, and said, "She's a Grimm, so watch out for her blood."</p><p>Antonia stopped in her tracks, resolutely waved her hand, turned towards the door, and said, "No. No Grimms,"</p><p>The princess caught her arm, "Antonia, please."</p><p>Lukas blurted out, "You can't be serious! Look at her, we need to air lift her to a hospital. Now!"</p><p>The princess tilted her head at Lukas, who simply rolled his eyes. His phone was already in his hand, in the middle of dialing, when she laid her hand on his arm.</p><p>The princess continued, "Antonia, she's only a child, barely fourteen years old."</p><p>Antonia stared out the door of the room filled with white cabinets and medical equipment, into the shabby service hallway. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.</p><p>"She was trying to save me from the Siegbarste."</p><p>Antonia scowled at Lukas and said, "Well, at least one person was trying to help the princess."</p><p>Lukas gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to protest, but the princess stopped him.</p><p>Antonia groaned, looked into The Princess's begging eyes, and sighed. "Fine."</p><p>She caught the arm of the white eyed nurse slinking towards the door, and said, "Come on now, dear, we'll have such fun. When was the last time you shared a room with a Shtriga and a Grimm?"</p><p>The woman stiffened, like a board. Tears welled up in her red eyes as white faced terror consumed her. She transformed herself, revealing the red and white fur and canine features of a Fuchsbau. Amanda muttered something and her head slowly rolled around. The nurse's gaze locked onto Amanda's eyes and she gasped at the sight of her own furry reflection floating in their black abyss. She stood motionless, staring, and quietly moaned, "No, no, no. A Grimm." Amanda's eyes rolled shut and the nurse bolted out the door.</p><p>Antonia turned her glare towards the men supporting Amanda, and said, "I swear, medical help these days is useless. Useless! Well, you three will have to do. Hopefully, at least one of you knows how to boil water."</p><p>They stiffened and backed up.</p><p>"Now! Before you oafs murder this poor girl!"</p><p>They glanced at Lukas, who nodded and waved them away. They gulped and carried Amanda to the kitchen.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The girl laid, wheezing and gurgling, on a stainless steel counter top in the castle's commercial kitchen. A black haired man held the basket hilted rapier steady in her chest while a second boiled pots of water and collected rags. The third rummaged through the drawers.</p><p>Antonia mixed various liquids and herbs into a stock pot, stirred, and finally ladled spoonfuls of the viscous mixture over her arms. The liquor quickly turned into a rubbery coating, sealing her skin. One of the men peered, quizzically, while Antonia muttered, "I can't be too careful, can I? Now, please tell me you've found a sharp knife?"</p><p>The man grimaced, shook his head, and muttered, "all dull."</p><p>"Well, then? What about you three, aren't you carrying a good knife? Certainly one of you must know how to sharpen a knife?"</p><p>Their eyes twitched as they glanced at each other.</p><p>"Come on, get them out."</p><p>They slid knives out of their pockets. She tested each one and cast them on the table, disgusted. "What sort of men are you, hauling around knives that could barely mangle warm butter. What do Wesen teach their boys these days? Next, you'll tell me you can't even catch a live rabbit."</p><p>She paused, rubbed her chin, and said, "Check the girl's pockets."</p><p>They patted her down, rummaged, and fished out two automatic knives. She tested the edges, smiled, and laid them on the table beside her. She winked at them, and said, "Well, at least you can count on a Grimm to keep a good edge."</p><p>She transformed herself into an ancient witch corpse. The men gasped and slinked away. She ground her spiny teeth, caught the last one on his way out the door, and said, "Come on, we've got work to do. I'll calm her down while you pull the sword out. I've got to get my hands into her chest to stop this bleeding. Ready?"</p><p>His face turned white as he wrinkled his nose and stared out the door.</p><p>She winced her eye sockets and extended one desiccated finger towards the floor next to her.</p><p>He closed his eyes, dropped his shoulders, exhaled, and finally nodded. He grasped the sword while she held a bony hand to The Grimm's head, narrowed her withered eyes, and said, "OK, now."</p><p>The man wrenched the sword out of the girl's chest, and she gasped, jerked, and coughed.</p><p>Antonia focused her powers, pressing against the girl's face, and she settled, laying back down. She gripped a black automatic knife, flicked it's blade out, and plunged it into into the girl's chest, slicing a pathway. She crept her bony fingers inside, and once past her wrists, started worming them around. She concentrated, winding in and out of tissue within the girl's chest, sealing the severed veins and arteries, regrowing alveoli and bronchioles, and repairing the holes in her lungs.</p><p>The lights flickered and buzzed. Antonia caught a subtle purple glow in the corner of her eye. She paused, peering, but found no one in the empty room. She groaned, "Of course, they always scatter the instant I look away. They're all the same. Child, you took quite a beating from the beast, didn't you. We'll get you fixed up."</p><p>The girl gasped, jerked, and popped her eyes wide open, revealing jet black orbs, while the sharp toothed witch corpse pulled, twisted, and rummaged inside her chest.</p><p>Antonia froze, standing like a statue, gazing at her own mummified reflection floating in the empty black depths of The Grimm's eyes, and considered her options, given that both of her hands were buried inside The Grimm's chest. She held her breath and waited.</p><p>The Grimm smiled a lazy smile, rubbed her hand on the her bony arm, relaxed, and laid back down.</p><p>Antonia slowly exhaled, looked around at the empty kitchen again, and listened. Silence enveloped her, and she swallowed. She looked at the young girl's battered face, groaned and continued working, while the girl smiled and gently massaged her arm.</p><p>The lights flickered again and the hazy purple glow reflected off the stainless refrigerators. Antonia's gaze scrutinized every shelf, counter, cabinet, and bin, and found nothing. She exhaled and continued sealing the wounds inside the girl's lung.</p><p>The Grimm turned her head, opened her eyes, and smiled a lazy smile. Antonia caught the pinkish reflection of a young, blonde haired girl floating next to her own in The Grimm's black eyes. She froze, waiting for her eyes to close, and finally craned, surveying again, but the room was empty.</p><p>The lights flickered a third time, and Antonia asked, "Are you here to help?"</p><p>Nothing answered except the echo of her own voice.</p><p>Once finished inside the girl's chest, Antonia inspected her face and groaned, "Poor thing."</p><p>She focused her eyes and spidered her bony fingers across the girl's face, repairing the broken nose, black eyes, and sprouting two new teeth. She crept her hands all around the girl's skull, gently squeezing, pressing, and sensing for a concussion. Satisfied, she turned her attention away from the resting girl and started washing up.</p><p>She leaned her weight against the stainless steel sink after pushing her magic for the better part of four hours straight. She turned the sink on, allowing it's warm water to wash over her arms as she dreamed of soaking her weary body into a steaming bath. She winced at first, as the hot water ran over her sore fingers. She flexed her hands, working the aching stiffness loose and then massaged her forearms. She glanced at the wall clock, 1:30AM, rubbed her hollow eye sockets, and yawned. She checked to ensure all the green sealant was scrubbed off, and found a dry towel. She ran bony fingertips through her matted gray hair, stretched her arms above her head, and her stomach growled.</p><p>Rustling scraped behind her. She whirled around to the empty table and gasped. She stared straight into the jet black eyes of a Grimm mere inches away. She froze, not moving a single muscle, waiting, and watching her own sharp toothed reflection float in the bottomless blackness.</p><p>The Grimm lunged at her, but, after hours of pushing her magic into the princess and then the girl, she was too exhausted to fight. Unable to escape, boxed in by the sink, countertop, and dishwasher, she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and prayed for a quick end.</p><p>Arms closed around her, squeezed, and rumbling vibrated on her chest.</p><p>Antonia craned her head backwards, opened one shrivelled eye and found The Grimm's arms wrapped around her and a mound of curly hair resting on her bony chest. The vibration rumbled through her chest again, and she realized the tiny girl was purring. She reached a mummified arm around the girl and patted her on the back, and finally laid her arm on her shoulder. The coppery scent of fresh blood wafted off the girl's body and hair. Her spiny teeth extended, her shriveled tongue salivated, and her stomach rumbled. She steeled herself, <em>No! You know what that would do to you.</em></p><p>The girl rubbed her head on Antonia's chest, and said, "Thank you so much."</p><p>Antonia transformed herself back into her human form. Her face now showed fine lines, crows feet, and red circles around her eyes. Her skin was sallow, and her hair was frizzy with shocks of gray. She tentatively petted the girl's back, and focused on the girl's thoughts, wondering. She said, "You're welcome. So, you have seen a Hexenbiest before, then?"</p><p>"My step mother and sister are Hexenbiests. They fixed me up the last time."</p><p>Antonia paused, touched the side of the girl's head, and focused her eyes. "Mmmm. Yes. I can feel their magic on you. So, how did a Grimm end up with a Hexenbiest step mother and sister?"</p><p>The girl shrugged, turned towards the refrigerator, and said, "She is my father's wife. I'm really hungry. This always makes me so hungry. Do you know if there any food in here."</p><p>Antonia pondered the girl's answer as she shuffled through the refrigerator, digging out some salami, cheese, bread, and milk, then asked, "Is your mother a Grimm, then?"</p><p>The girl started stuffing food into her mouth. She finally paused long enough to say, "No, my mom is Lowen."</p><p>Antonia rummaged into the refrigerator. She found some black sausages and a green thermos jar with a fancy monogrammed red "A." She hefted the thermos and swirled it. She started eating and gulped from the thermos, emptying it. She exhaled, relaxing, as white started creeping over the yellow in her eyes. She savored the flavor for a moment and allowed a bright smile to erupt, revealing red stained lips and teeth.</p><p>Color started returning to Antonia's face as she ate. Her skin smoothed and the wrinkles started to dissipate. The gray streaks in her hair disappeared. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, transferring a crimson stain, and said, "A what? Did you say you are Lowen and Grimm, with a Hexenbiest step mother?"</p><p>The girl nodded.</p><p>"And this Hexenbiest sister, is she part Grimm, as well?"</p><p>"Not really. She said she was born with 'the blood of a Grimm' from my father, but he isn't her father. The princess said my sister was her sister."</p><p>"Your Hexenbiest sister is the princess's sister, and she was born with the blood of a Grimm?"</p><p>"I guess. That's what The Princess told me. She said my sister is her father's other daughter."</p><p>Antonia stared off into the stainless steel shelves, gazing past noodles, potatoes, and onions, as she wondered at what should be a ridiculous lie about an actual Grimm and Hexenbiest family possibly existing somewhere, except this young Grimm did, in fact, arrive with Hexenbiest magic on her. She paused, watching the girl wolf down everything in front of her and wash it down with huge glasses of milk.</p><p>She took the opportunity to sense the girl's thoughts and emotions. <em>Hmmm, this Grimm is the only person in the entire castle, besides the princess, who doesn't hate Hexenbiests. Rather the opposite, this girl doesn't think I'm some disgusting abomination like everyone else, she trusts me. She claims the princess told her that they were sisters. Perhaps there is an opportunity here... I could use an ally in the castle.</em></p><p>"I don't believe we have been formally introduced. I am Antonia Strakosja, the princess's assistant."</p><p>The girl smiled, and said, "I'm Amanda Prentice."</p><p>"Well, Amanda Prentice, it's very good to meet you."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The doctor finished reading The Princess's X-rays, flipped through his notes, and said, "Your Highness, I suppose there is good news, given your ordeal. You only have two broken ribs. You have plenty of sprains and deep bruising, but for now, it doesn't look like anything worse." He packed her with ice, handed her a bottle of painkillers, groaning when she insisted on a rib belt, and released her with instructions to return in two days, once the swelling went down.</p><p>She brushed her matted hair out of her eyes, and winked at Lukas. "When are you going to upgrade that dinosaur of a gun."</p><p>He chuckled and his eyes sparkled as he answered, "With all due respect, your highness, this hardly seems like the time to lecture me about my Krinkov."</p><p>"None of the other Verrat carry one. There are more modern and compact platforms. That old thing is hardly ergonomic."</p><p>"You know I've been carrying one since I was fourteen, in Bosnia, and it has never failed me. Not then, not in Chechnya, Ukraine, Georgia, or Kyrgyzstan, and not today."</p><p>"Ah, yes, your old pair of shoes."</p><p>"The Siegbarste did not get away from me."</p><p>"I knew he wouldn't."</p><p>"So, why on God's green earth would you text me 'everything is fine, no assistance is needed.' And then you decided to fight it out with one of those beasts?"</p><p>She paused, pressing ice against her head, as her entire body throbbed. She coughed, gasped, and gripped her chest, then said, "Admittedly, not one of my better decisions."</p><p>"You know you don't have to prove yourself like this, not anymore."</p><p>She winced and groaned as she pushed up, out of the bed. She wobbled, grimaced, and tears welled up in her eyes. Her elbows trembled until they folded and she slumped back onto the bed. She brushed her hand on his bicep, leaned towards his ear, and whispered, "Lukas, would you please stay with me tonight."</p><p>He brushed his fingertips across her bruised cheek and she closed her eyes, smiling as she pressed her face against his palm. He lifted her to her feet, supporting her on his shoulder, then glanced around. He whispered, "Yes, of course, Amelie, but you know we can't make a habit of this. Your father has made that clear."</p><p>She stumbled, resting her weight on his shoulder, and pulling in closer to him. She pushed her forehead against his, and mumbled, "I am a grown woman and my father is three thousand kilometers away."</p><p>She took a step towards the door, leaned her head against his, and whispered, "Thank you, Lukas."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN:<br/>A Shtriga is a vampire witch from Albanian folklore. For the purposes of this, she falls within the Hexenbiest universe. Hopefully, I gave enough clues that you already figured it out without this footnote. ;)</p><p>6.8k 2/12/21 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Transition Elements</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda builds a new friendship</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 21<br/>Transition Elements</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The princess's face contorted in a silent scream against the gold and blue crusted room. She gritted her teeth, stretched her entire body towards the ceiling, and gasped, as the mummified witch ground spiny teeth and spidered bony fingers along her ribs.</p><p>The witch released and the princess toppled into a padded chaise. She let her head sink into the round pillow beside the armrest while her red high-heel clad feet dangled off the other end. She brushed the back of her fingers across her face as the last traces of purple dissipated from her cheeks. She lifted her white button down shirt and the yellow shadows of round and oblong bruises quickly faded into porcelain skin. She touched her ribs, searching. She wiped tears out of her eyes, and said "I don't know what's worse, the broken ribs, or the healing."</p><p>Antonia braced her bony corpse against the back of a greenish great chair, transformed back to her human form, wiped a wrinkled hand through grayish hair, and trying to catch her breath, gasped out, "You should never... have allowed the beast... to beat you like that."</p><p>Antonia slumped down in a couch, breathing heavily, and allowed her head to settle into it's gold tinted fabric. She wiped a napkin against her pallid forehead, massaged her wrinkled forearms, flexed worn fingers, and finally flicked her red fingernails in the air.</p><p>The doctor set a green thermos bottle, marked with a red A, into Antonia's hand. She slowly sipped and swallowed while the doctor's face turned green and contorted in disgust. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, started to hunch, and rushed out the door.</p><p>Color started returning to her face. She glanced at the princess through yellow eyes sunken deep into red circles. She waited and glanced to make sure the room was completely empty, locked the door, and asked, "Princess, do you have a sister?"</p><p>The princess finally caught her breath, pressed ice into her side, and said, "Yes. My father has another daughter. She's, I think, six years old."</p><p>"Six?" Antonia snorted, "You're forty-four."</p><p>The princess wrinkled her nose, and grunted, "Her mother is thirty six."</p><p>Antonia chuckled.</p><p>"Well, at least my father finally came to his senses about her mother."</p><p>"Does she have Hexenbiest powers, this sister of yours?"</p><p>"Yes. She was born with considerable powers."</p><p>"This Amanda girl says she is your sister's sister."</p><p>"Her step sister."</p><p>"She said her father is a Grimm, and he has a family with your sister's Hexenbiest mother?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Antonia sat silent for a moment, then pushed up, walked to the window, and cracked it open, allowing a cold breeze to caress her flushed face. She gulped out of the thermos, wiped the crimson off her lips, and said, "A Grimm and a Hexenbiest? A family? How?"</p><p>The Princess spun an impossible tale of bitter enemies, hell bent on murder, vengeance, destruction, and betrayal, a Gypsy Queen's curse, and inexplicably, a child.</p><p>Antonia shook her head in disbelief. "And now this Grimm and the Hexenbiest have mingled each other's blood."</p><p>"This Hexenbiest has given birth to two male Grimms."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"And the Grimm has fathered a Hexenbiest. My Grandmother Lascelles says they're quite adorable."</p><p>Antonia's whole world swirled and sloshed. She caught a chair and slumped into it, wiping her pale forehead. Worry crossed her face. She peered out the window, expecting to find the four horsemen of the apocalypse sharpening their swords. She finally whispered, "That's just an ancient legend."</p><p>The princess pushed up against her chaise and finally lifted to her feet. She stretched full upwards, towering over the old witch, and tilted her head.</p><p>Antonia sneered, and grunted, "Leave it to the Gypsies to summon <em>Mater Decapitare, </em>by mistake"</p><p>She groaned and rubbed her yellow eyes. Their white slowly returned as she sipped from her thermos.</p><p>The princess chuckled, and said, "I hear Amanda quite likes you."</p><p>"She seems like a nice enough girl."</p><p>"She could use a friend in the castle, especially given the phobia most Wesen have of Grimms."</p><p>Antonia groaned and stared out the window.</p><p>The princess laid a gentle hand on Antonia's back, and said, "And perhaps you could too. A Grimm is a powerful ally."</p><p>She passed her phone to Antonia, and played a video.</p><p>Antonia gasped, "A Reaper? That quickly?"</p><p>The princess flipped to some pictures of the Verrat inside the airplane. Antonia slowly paged through them, and said, "This can't be right. She's just a girl."</p><p>The princess chuckled, touched Antonia's shoulder, and said, "It's a good thing she likes Hexenbiests."</p><p>Antonia rubbed her neck, gulped, and said, "Yes. Yes, it is.."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda's stomach growled as she made her way down a maze of gold crusted staircases and marble lined hallways. She finally snuck into the shabby bowels of the castle. Every person she passed froze, and then disappeared the instant she tried to ask them anything. She groaned, dropped her head, and trudged, as her nose drew her onward.</p><p>She found the stainless steel kitchen, passed crates of onions, bunches of beets, tubs of flour, and shelves of spices, until her quarry stood before her, tall, gleaming, brushed stainless steel. She pulled the refrigerator open and rummaged through a crate of eggs, bunches of fresh parsley, and raw beef and pork on the hunt for some cheese when the refrigerator door slammed shut, nearly catching her wrists.</p><p>An older woman wearing a permanent scowl etched on her face, a black smock, and a white hat pushed her hands into her hips and declared, "No pilfering my kitchen!"</p><p>"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I'm just looking for some food."</p><p>"Dinner was three hours ago, and I won't have you contaminating the princess's groceries with your filthy hands. This is a sanitary kitchen! Out!"</p><p>Amanda dropped her head and groaned, as her stomach growled again.</p><p>The woman stood, blocking the refrigerator, and extended one finger towards the door.</p><p>Amanda was trudging out of the kitchen while the cook groused, when Antonia walked in.</p><p>Amanda's face brightened,</p><p>"Amanda, it's good to see you. How are you doing today?"</p><p>Amanda pulled up her shirt to show Antonia her ribs and back. The black welts had already yellowed and were dissipating into shadows on her olive skin.</p><p>"That is remarkable. I've always heard Grimms recover quickly, but I didn't expect you to heal like this."</p><p>"I'm just so hungry."</p><p>"You need to eat so you can heal. Come, child."</p><p>Amanda looked back into the kitchen and the woman glared at her. She hunched her shoulders and groaned.</p><p>"What's wrong, child?"</p><p>Amanda simply frowned and looked at her shoes.</p><p>Antonia noticed the cook's scowl. "Hmm? I'll have a word with her."</p><p>Antonia marched over to the woman, crossed her arms, and glared. She woman straightened and stood like a statue as all the color drained out of her face. Antonia said "The princess's sister would like a snack. Please fix her something."</p><p>The woman's eyes twitched as she stood bolt upright, hands clapped tight to her sides. Antonia extended one finger towards the refrigerator. The woman nodded, and said, "Of course. Anything for her highness's sister. What would she like?"</p><p>Antonia and Amanda sat across from eachother at a small wooden table dressed with a crisp, white table cloth. Antonia snacked on a fresh salad, a hard boiled egg, and a blood sausage while Amanda wolfed down a rare roast beef sandwich and a glass of milk.</p><p>They talked and Amanda told her about being kidnapped, her parents, and her friends.</p><p>Antonia told her about her daughter, and how she was not interested in learning anything about her powers or the old ways. That she just wanted a "normal" life.</p><p>Amanda's face wilted. "My parents wanted that too. I think I ruined everything. I hope they are still alive."</p><p>Antonia rubbed on her shoulder and focused her eyes.</p><p>Amanda paused, staring into the memory of mother and Misty, talking with her, smiling, and laughing. She buried her head in her arms and sobbed, "It's all my fault."</p><p>Antonia rubbed a hand on Amanda's back, and said, "Shhh, child." She exhaled slowly, quirked her brow, muttered under her breath, and focused her eyes again.</p><p>Amanda saw Adalind's face, smiling and telling her everything would be OK. She smiled, wiping the tears out of her eyes. She sat back up and dug into her sandwich.</p><p>Antonia gazed past the darkness in the back of the empty kitchen, slowly shaking her head, and wondering.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Dusty snowflakes fluttered through the dark and landed on the blonde hair draping Sandra's ear as she huddled next to Misty, leaving a white dusting across her head.</p><p>Banging cut the silence and Sandra gritted her teeth. The container doors creaked and groaned open, and dusky evening light streamed in. Icy air flowed in while a plume of steam floated out.</p><p>The gray haired man turned up his nose, and grunted, "You two stink!"</p><p>Silence answered him.</p><p>"I've got all the hot water you can stand, and a warm bed in the house."</p><p>Sandra held her hand up, blocking the light, and said, "And?"</p><p>"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement. You're my best female fighter. It's supposed to be forty below tomorrow, I'd hate to have you freeze to death."</p><p>"And her?"</p><p>"There's plenty of room. I've got a kingsize bed. Can either of you cook?"</p><p>"Both of us."</p><p>"Any other skills?"</p><p>"She's a trauma nurse, I'm an accountant."</p><p>He smiled. "So, you're tough, and useful. I'm in short supply on both counts. I'm grilling steaks tonight, if you two are interested."</p><p>Misty cupped her fingers over her eyes, against the light streaming in, and said, "I need to get her wounds cleaned up. That salt you rub into them isn't exactly helpful."</p><p>He waved a hand with a gentlemanly flourish, and said, "I've got whatever you need, in the house."</p><p>Misty laid a hand on Sandra and whispered, "For Amanda."</p><p>Sandra exhaled, rubbed her face, and took Misty's hand. They slowly crept out of the steel cargo container, and followed the man through the knee deep snow, into the icy dusk.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.8k 2/20/21 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Hunger Games</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda tries out a delicious, new treat.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 22<br/>Hunger Games</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda's head bobbed and her eyes fluttered. She rubbed her fingertips along the faded, green stubble on Antonia's worn velveteen arm chair, yawned, and said, "I need to get to bed."</p><p>Her stomach growled.</p><p>Antonia chuckled, and said, "You can't be hungry again?"</p><p>"Yes, I'm just so tired. I'll get something tomorrow."</p><p>Amanda paused, peering at innumerable jars and boxes full of herbs, spices, bugs, and various colored liquids neatly arranged on wooden shelves and table tops from one end of Antonia's quarters to the other. "What are all these."</p><p>"They're things I use to make various remedies." Antonia rattled off a dozen ingredients, and said, "That's the medicine I gave you so you would heal faster."</p><p>Amanda's stomach growled again.</p><p>Antonia chuckled, and said, "I just didn't realize how quickly a teenage Grimm recovers. It would have taken a normal person almost two months, and you healed in two days."</p><p>Amanda yawned.</p><p>"It's time for bed. Doctor's orders."</p><p>Amanda hugged her and ambled out of the room nestled in the top of the castle. She wandered down staircases and hallways. She weaved through a maze of scaffolding and workman's tools. A crisp breeze wafted past and a whiff caught her. She raised her nose, inhaled again, and quirked her eyebrow.</p><p><em>I've smelled something like this before, but not here,</em> she thought, and pushed through a narrow door she had never noticed before. She followed the unfamiliar path up a tiny staircase weaving inside the brickwork, into a narrow aisle behind wooden beams and plaster lath, out another narrow doorway, and into a marble hallway.</p><p>Her stomach growled again and her mouth watered. Her nose drew her, step by step down the dim hallway.</p><p>Finally, she came to a heavy, carved door, cracked open just enough for her to slip through. She touched the knob, and thought, <em>That's weird, it's locked.</em></p><p>She paused and stilled herself, allowing the sounds and smells to come to her. She took in the regular breathing of sleepers, heart beats, a faint scratching, a soft rustling, and the smell.</p><p>She woged, sprouting a coat of dark fur. Her body disappeared as she slid into the shadows. She crouched in the darkness, perked her ears, lifted her nose, and inhaled. <em>That's weird, I smell the princess, and Lukas, and something else.. Something.. Feathery.</em></p><p>Her vision adjusted, and she surveyed the room. The princess and Lukas sleeping in the bed, and a black blob crouched on the ceiling. A faint metallic click echoed. The blob lengthened and a black cylinder appeared at the end of an arm. Amanda narrowed her eyes, extended her claws, and readied herself.</p><p>The merest glint reflected off it's yellow eyes. She pounced, flashing up a chair, bouncing off the top of a dresser, pushing off the wall, and hooked her claws into it's body.</p><p>An ear piercing screech cut the silence, followed by a hollow thump, the crackle of wood splintering, a single metallic jingle, loud flapping, and tearing.</p><p>A whirling black and gray blur careened off the ceiling in a shower of plaster, bounced off the corner of the bed, and slammed onto the floor.</p><p>Amanda slashed and clawed with all her might as talons and a razor sharp beak sliced at her. Her hands and feet were full of sharp things darting at her, so she sank her fangs into it's neck, twisted, and tore.</p><p>Warmth splashed on her face. Another screech and gurgling, but her mouth was full of rich, sweet, delicicacy. <em>So hungry,</em> she thought. She clawed feathers and leathery skin aside and tore out another bite, then another, as flavor explosion after delectable explosion washed over her palate.</p><p>A woman's scream pierced the ripping and tearing. Fiery eyes lit the room and a snarl as feet hit the floor.</p><p>She glanced up for a second, and saw a muscular feline figure with black and white striped, skin-hugging fur, long pajamas, and a blocky submachine gun. It stared for a minute, shuddered, and said, "Amanda? Is that you?"</p><p>She chewed, smacking her lips, swallowed, and said, "Yes. Lukas, it's so good! Would you like some?"</p><p>Lukas clicked the light on, and Amanda found herself straddling a man sprawled next to the foot of the princess's bed. She bit a chunk out of the man's shoulder and gulped another mouthful. She swallowed, and mumbled, "Mmmm, it's so good!"</p><p>The princess hid behind the bed, pistol in hand, while Lukas searched the room. He found the silenced pistol under the bed and a bullet hole in the headboard, barely a foot above the princess's pillow.</p><p>He asked, "Wesen?"</p><p>Her eyes twinkled and a crimson smile erupted out of the dark fur. She said, "He's some sort of bird wesen. It's delicious. I've never tasted anything like this. You should try some."</p><p>He sniffed the air, checked the room, and called the Verrat. He picked up a few black and gray feathers and smelled them. He closed his eyes and then laid one in his mouth, focused, and then laughed out loud. He said, "Uhranuti? I don't think they know we are Wesen."</p><p>He dipped his hand in the sticky pool beside it's head and then wiped red streaks across her face. "Your first kill!"</p><p>She chuckled, and said, "I killed my first Wesen over a year ago."</p><p>He smiled a toothy grin, lifted the body with one hand, and said, "This is the first one you've eaten, though, isn't it. Come on, let's take him to the kitchen and properly celebrate!"</p><p>Six stout men laughed, sang, and danced around the steel table, chewing chunks ripped off of the body and drinking glasses of wine. Amanda rode on Lukas's thick shoulders, biting mouthfuls out of a dripping heart, while he chewed a chunk out of of the shoulder in his left hand.</p><p>The princess made her way downstairs. She stood in the entrance of the kitchen, glanced at the carcass on the table, eight bloody faces, and said, "Did you find anyone else?"</p><p>"No, but I have men looking."</p><p>She whispered in his ear, "I trust you took a picture of his face to make inquiry?"</p><p>"Yes, your highness."</p><p>"Excellent! Lukas, is Uhranuti considered white meat or red?"</p><p>Lukas laughed out loud and passed her a blood stained wine bottle.</p><p>She raised her glass and chanted, "Laeti vescimur nos subacturis!"</p><p>A loud shout rang out, repeating her.</p><p>"We feast on those who would subjugate us!"</p><p>An hour later, everyone was gone, save Lukas and Amanda.</p><p>Antonia snuck in, nose raised and eyes dilated. Lukas bristled and scowled while Amanda took her hand. She said, "Antonia, do you like Wesen?"</p><p>Lukas disappeared. Antonia sighed, and said "Of course, child."</p><p>She closed her eyes as the rich, coppery scent wafted into her nostrils. "What have you found?"</p><p>"Uhranuti. I think he was trying to kill the princess."</p><p>Antonia found a coffee cup, dipped it into the man's chest cavity, and sipped, savoring the flavor. She slowly exhaled, and let out a low, "Mmmm!"</p><p>A few minutes later, Antonia refilled her cup, wrapped her hands around it, and smiled.</p><p>Amanda's stomach growled again.</p><p>Antonia snickered and said, "You can't possibly be hungry, can you?"</p><p>"I've been eating all night."</p><p>"Did you get hurt?"</p><p>Amanda shrugged.</p><p>"Turn around. Let me see."</p><p>Amanda turned around, and Antonia gasped. "Child!"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Antonia dipped another cup out of the man's chest, gulped it down, and refilled. Her cheeks turned rosy and light red streaks highlighted her dark hair. Her features smoothed and her eyes became clear and dewey as the witch became younger and younger until her middle age appearance transformed into that of a twenty-five year old. She sipped another refill from her cup, started slurring her words, and her English took on a very strong Eastern-European accent. She poked at Amanda's back, and said, "Come on, let me see."</p><p>Amanda sliced off one calf, gulped a bite down, and lifted her shirt.</p><p>"This is remarkable. I've never seen anything like this. I must have made the healing potion far too strong for you." Antonia rubbed her eyes and stared, mouth agape, as the six inch slashes in Amanda's back sealed and disappeared without her help. She looked Amanda over and found bloody gashes ripped through her clothing, and dried blood on her arms, legs, chest, and face, but the single remaining wound knitted before her eyes. She poked at the place a gash had been, only a minute ago, and Amanda giggled while she swallowed a bicep in three bites.</p><p>Antonia had just finished storing the remaining blood in jars when a stout man with round cheeks and a shiny head stomped in and scowled. He instantly started yelling, "What have you done! My kitchen!"</p><p>He grabbed a cleaver, and snorted, "Cannibals! My kitchen!"</p><p>He twisted his head and transformed, revealing flabby jowls, pointy ears, flat snout and porcine features of a Bauerschwein. He charged at them, and Amanda transformed herself, revealing her dark mane and feline features.</p><p>"I won't have a Lowen wreck my...Oh my God! What are you! A Grimm? No!"</p><p>The cleaver clattered to the floor and he jerked back, stumbling into the counter in back of him. He knocked a sheet pan loose, stepped on it, and crashed to the floor. He clambered backwards, under a counter, and hid, while the entire counter trembled, clattering a row of pots and pans hanging on a rack above.</p><p>Amanda transformed back into her human form, and five minutes later, the sour faced female cook stomped through the door. She gasped and started yelling at Amanda, "You! What have you done to my kitchen! And your friend! I don't care if you are the princess's sister! No one does... This... To my kitchen!"</p><p>Antonia stepped forward and pushed a finger onto the woman's chest. "And you will hold your tongue, and learn your place!"</p><p>The woman slapped her hand, "I won't be told what to do in my kitchen! Now get cleaning!"</p><p>Antonia twisted her head, revealing the Shtriga's brown corpse, matted gray hair, and a mouth full of spiny fangs.</p><p>The woman lunged away, but Antonia grasped the air and yanked. The woman slid backwards across the floor, twisted, and found herself face to with the dusty witch carcass. Antonia cupped spidery fingers on her cheek, and the woman stiffened like a stone. The woman gurgled and squeaked through frozen jaws and her eyes twitched as Antonia dragged a black fingernail across her face.</p><p>A red line dibbled, following her fingertip, and Antonia licked it with her dried tongue. She smacked brown, ragged lips and whispered, "delicious," in the woman's ear, "But I've already had my fill. I'm in a good mood, so I'll ask you clean up, if it's not too much trouble."</p><p>A garbled squeak filtered out of the woman's paralyzed jaws and a single tear rolled down her cheek.</p><p>"And you too, come on out from under there, cook. You may as well help."</p><p>The whole countertop rattled and shook.</p><p>"Do I need to retrieve you? This will go better if you come out on your own, before the Grimm discovers her taste for bauerschwein." She clasped her fist in the air and gave a little jerk. The countertop shook and rattled, and one of the man's feet slid out.</p><p>"No, no! Please." Fat fingertips grasped the countertop from beneath, then the man's head. He crept out, peered at the woman, frozen in front of the witch corpse, and made the symbol of a cross across his chest.</p><p>"Cook, Can I leave this in your capable hands? The princess's sister and I have had a very long night. The princess had an... Unwanted visitor."</p><p>"Wh.. What about her?"</p><p>Antonia flashed her spiny fangs and ran her bony finger inside the gash on the woman's face, sealing it back up. She licked her finger and cupped the woman's cheek. She brushed the exposed bones of her fingertips under the woman's ear and down the side of her neck.</p><p>Antonia pressed her thumb and second finger together in front of the woman's eyes and snapped. The hollow click echoed through the kitchen, and the woman gasped, collapsing. White faced and trembling, she scrabbled across the floor, and huddled behind the man's legs, as terror wracked her.</p><p>Amanda sliced another chunk off, swallowed it, rubbed her swollen belly, and burped.</p><p>"Child! You can't still be hungry?"</p><p>"No, it's just so good. I have to stop."</p><p>Antonia transformed back to her much younger human form, and said, "Amanda, we've had a long night. Let's get cleaned up and get some sleep."</p><p>Amanda smiled, nodded, and they walked out the door.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda followed the noise down the stairs, and spied the commotion in the foyer. The princess had the entire Castle staff lined up. A silenced pistol dangled from her index finger as she marched back and forth.</p><p>One of the men yelled out "It had to be the witch! Everyone knows you can't trust a witch!"</p><p>Half the staff nodded and grumbled.</p><p>Antonia scowled as four more yelled out "It had to be the witch!" including the two cooks, "She must have opened the window."</p><p>Amanda crept behind the plant as more and more people complained and blamed Antonia.</p><p>She snuck out of the shadows behind Lukas, tapped his arm, and whispered, "I was with Antonia in her room last night before I found the man."</p><p>Lukas nodded and whispered in the princess's ear.</p><p>A ghost of a smirk crept perked one corner of her lips. She called out, "Someone surely witnessed this, then? Antonia allowing our visitor in last night?"</p><p>They shifted side to side.</p><p>"Well? No one? After impugning the character of my personal assistant and no one will come forward?"</p><p>She paused and singled out one man. "How about you? You raised the accusation. Surely you know something?"</p><p>The man stiffened, adjusted his collar, and gulped as Antonia scowled at him.</p><p>The princess smirked and said, "Surely, you know the price of bearing false witness? Lukas, find out what he knows."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Later that evening, Amanda sat with Antonia in the witch's quarters. She ran her fingers along Antonia's worn velveteen chair, watching silver trails form on the green armrest. She asked, "Why was everyone trying to blame you?"</p><p>"Child, everyone hates witches. It doesn't matter how many times we help them, how many times we fix difficult problems, they always hate us."</p><p>Amanda heaved a heavy sigh and stared at the floor.</p><p>"You seem to know about that as well."</p><p>"It's the same when they find out I'm a Grimm. No one in the castle will talk to me. they all run away."</p><p>Antonia sighed, tousled her hair, and patted her back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>2.5k 2/24/21 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Homeward bound</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda finds herself in trouble again while Misty and Sandra get a break.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 23<br/>Homeward bound</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda and her two Verrat escorts were walking out of a clothing store in Vienna when something slammed the back of her head.</p><p>Concrete pavement rose up and crashed. Her broken shopping bag scattered two shirts and three pairs of pants onto the sidewalk. She turned just long enough to see the Verra as agents thrown down and kicked. She was pushing onto her elbows when pain jabbed her neck and the world swirled. She gritted her teeth, but her elbows folded and everything went black.</p><p>The world threw her up and down. Road noise, a car engine, and the scent of automobile upholstery greeted her. Her eyes fluttered in a blur that eventually focused into gray carpeting and four pairs of boots, and her eyes closed.</p><p>The world sloshed and her eyes fluttered. Darkness and the cold scent of outdoors. Her stomach bounced on a man's shoulder and her arms draped down his back. She smelled old things and saw the carved stone pavers marble floor. <em>Another castle?</em> and her eyes closed.</p><p>Her head bounced off a hard floor. She drew her knees up and moaned in the darkness. "What's going on?" she asked the pair of legs next to her. He turned, kicked her, and left. The door clanked and clicked, leaving her in pitch black.</p><p>She smelled and listened, trying to force the cobwebs in her head to clear, sensing the room, and her eyes closed.</p><p>Her eyes fluttered. She shook her head, and groaned. She squinted against the glare of fluorescent lamps and realized she was slumped on a hard floor with her back against the wall. She tried to cover her eyes, but her hands jerked with a clank before she could get them up. She bent forward and rubbed her sticky eyes.</p><p>The fog in her brain slowly cleared and she thought, <em>Crap.</em></p><p>She glanced around and noticed a dozen other girls, all slumped along the wall, chained to loops set into the floor. She rubbed her eyes, and saw a girl that looked like Miriam, except skinny, very skinny.</p><p>
  <em>Thank goodness she's still alive. Now what?</em>
</p><p>She hunched and let her hair cover her face. <em>Just be another scared girl, one of them.</em></p><p>She surveyed the room. <em>There's not much in here, just a padded restraint and a huge wooden butcher block. No cameras that I can see.</em></p><p>And she waited. After an eon, she drifted off to sleep. She woke up and the room was black. She twisted and wiggled her wrists in silence. Finally, covered by darkness, she pulled one hand free, then the other. She crept across the room, inch by inch, and found a spot, closest to the door. She manipulated the shackles, making sure she could slide in and out at will. She laid them over her wrists.</p><p>The lights clicked on. She glanced at the guard through her hair as she hunched, as if unconscious like the others. He grabbed her and shook, but she slumped over, eyes closed. She waited until his back was turned, snuck through the door, and hid.</p><p>A gasp echoed out the door and a man cursing.</p><p>He was yelling at the girls and shaking them, but their groggy voices didn't give any useful answers.</p><p>He came tromping out and slammed the door shut behind him. He was lifting a radio to his mouth when she hooked her claws into his neck, rolled him across her hip, and slammed him on the ground face first. She injected her claws into the divot in the back of his skull, sliced, and he exhaled a slow wheeze.</p><p>She clipped the radio to her pants, dragged him into the castle's hidden service passages, rifled his pockets, and stuffed him down a trash chute.</p><p>She spirited into the servant's quarters, found a uniform, and a mop bucket. Amanda was now invisible, hiding in plain sight as a castle maid.</p><p>She crept into the kitchen, ate, and stole a few knives.</p><p>A smile crossed her face, <em>Now, you're stuck in here with me!</em></p><p>She snuck into the security office, slit the man's throat and stuffed him down the trash chute. She yanked all the wires out of the security system, removed their hard drives, and disappeared into the castle. She sent a text message on the man's phone, wound her way through the castle, and unlocked the service entrance.</p><p>Five minutes after midnight, she hacked the heads off five Verrat agents and rolled them down the long spiral staircase into the foyer. The little blood splattered maid put on a show, sniffing and crying while she sponged the mess into her mop bucket as armed men shoved her aside and streamed past her.</p><p>Twenty Verrat agents marched into the foyer and were gunned down by three masked men.</p><p>Police swarmed into the castle an hour later. Amanda stood in a line with The Help as the officers marched past. They didn't even ask her why she was covered in blood from head to toe - all of the maids were by now. When questioned, cried and she told the police that the armed men said they were looking for the girls in the dungeon. She escorted one of the officers down and watched him gasp at the sight of girls chained. The policeman ran up stairs as fast as he could. Ten officers shoved Amanda out of the way as they burst into the dungeon, and she disappeared.</p><p>She watched from a distance as the police escorted thirteen young girls into ambulances. She climbed into a van with Lukas and two other men, and rode away.</p><p>Lukas asked, "So, how were the shackles?"</p><p>"I'm glad we practiced, or I never would have gotten out of them."</p><p>"And the castle"</p><p>"I only got lost once. There are a lot of hidden passages that aren't marked anywhere."</p><p>Lukas smirked, and said, "Well, yes, Maximillian's castle was first built in the thirteen hundreds. Did you end up in the catacombs?"</p><p>"Luckily not. You were right about dressing as a maid. Nobody even asked about all the blood when I had a bucket and a sponge in my hand."</p><p>He chuckled. "You were just the help."</p><p>On the way back, Amanda touched Lukas's arm, and said, "How will we be sure he won't just take the girls back?"</p><p>Lukas snorted, "This is too large of a scandal. There were ten news trucks outside the castle."</p><p>"So, what will happen to the prince? I wish he would have been there! I would have chopped off his head for what he did."</p><p>Lukas exhaled a slow sigh as the van bumped along the country road, and said, "He's the most powerful man in this region. Nothing will happen to him, although it will be a nasty scandal."</p><p>"Did you see the butcher block? The girls said he chopped them to pieces on it."</p><p>"Yes. The princess told me about that. He held her for five years, in that dungeon."</p><p>Amanda gasped, and said, "So that's how she knew. How did she escape?"</p><p>"Her father hired mercenaries to rescue her. That's how I met the princess, I was leading the rescue team."</p><p>She gritted her teeth, narrowed her eyes, and said, "I'm going to hack him to pieces."</p><p>A week later, several girls were being reunited with their parents at the US Embassy. They escorted Miriam into the back and Amanda hugged her.</p><p>"Mandy, I thought it was a dream when I saw them drag you in. I knew it was you, but I thought you were dead. Then, I thought he was going to chop you up. Then you were gone. You actually came back for me?"</p><p>"Of course, Miriam. I couldn't leave you. I'm sorry it took so long."</p><p>Miriam wrapped herself around Amanda and sobbed.</p><p>The best friends hugged. Amanda whispered in Miriam's ear, "Nobody knows what happened to my parents, and I'm stuck here because I don't have a passport or any identification. If you see my parents, please tell them I'm here."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Sandra ran her fingertips through the gray haired man's hair while Misty laid a glass of bourbon into his hand. He smiled and pulled both women against him on his brown leather couch. Sandra nestled her head into the crook of his shoulder. Misty sat down on the other side, wrapped a leg over his leg, slid her hand inside his shirt and ran her fingertips along his chest.</p><p>He finished his drink. His chest rumbled, and he said, "Mmm, this is nice, I could live like this forever."</p><p>He rubbed his hand against Sandra's thigh, and gently caressed his fingers under Misty's shirt.</p><p>Misty kissed his neck, and crooned, "You look like you had a long day. Do you want another drink?"</p><p>"You read my mind."</p><p>He pulled Sandra up onto his lap and kissed her neck while she ran her fingers along his cheekbone.</p><p>Misty got back and he had Sandra's shirt off. He waved Misty over. She kissed his neck and laid the drink in his hand. He swallowed it with a lazy smile and grinned when Misty unbuttoned his shirt and caressed his chest. He started pulling her shirt up, and yawned.</p><p>Sandra rubbed his face, Misty kissed his neck, and his face lit in ecstasy. They slowly rubbed his body and kissed him while his eyes drooped shut. His breathing slowed, heavy and rhythmic. A minute later, a low snore crept out of his lips as his head tilted back.</p><p>They laid his limp body on the couch. His breathing slowed further and became shallow. They slid their fingers into blue nitrile gloves and pressed a trash bag wrapped pillow onto his face. His body barely twitched as his breathing stopped.</p><p>Sandra held the pillow and Misty pressed her fingertips into the side of his neck. Finally Misty nodded and Sandra released.</p><p>Sandra winked at Misty, and said, "You seem to know your way around valium."</p><p>Misty tilted her head, shrugged, smirked, and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."</p><p>Sandra chuckled, and said, "Of course not. Now let's get put of here."</p><p>They propped him on pillows and covered him with a blanket. Misty washed the glass, sloshed a little bourbon into it and set it with the open bottle on the side table. She laid an open bottle of prescription painkillers and another of allergy medication on the end table, and scattered a few pills.</p><p>Sandra stuffed a large duffel full of cash out of his stash, grabbed some clothes, and the keys to the old Chevy 1500 farm truck.</p><p>They walked out the door, and a man yelled. He marched over, "Hey! Where do you two think you're going? And what's in the bag?"</p><p>They raised their hands over their heads.</p><p>He pushed the barrel of his rifle into Sandra's back and grabbed Misty's arm. "Clark won't be happy with you two. I'm going to enjoy killing you myself, now get!"</p><p>He opened the bag, and said, "Stealing from the big man, eh? Well I got just the thing for you. How about I give you time to cool down till I talk to the boss."</p><p>He herded them towards the black mouth of the shipping container. He threw Misty inside, then shoved the gun into Sandra's back, and said, "You too. Get!"</p><p>He kicked Sandra inside, sending her crashing onto the icy floor. She huddled against Misty while the doors creaked and groaned closed, when a metallic clink sliced through the midnight calm.</p><p>His head rolled off his shoulders and bounced into the container.</p><p>Misty and Sandra huddled further back and a female voice called out, "Sorry, I must have missed one. You guys OK?"</p><p>Misty called out, "Lauren? Is that you?"</p><p>Sandra allowed her eyes to focus out of the dark, and said, "I wasn't sure if you were coming."</p><p>"Your note said Tuesday night. Come on, let's get going."</p><p>Lauren drove them an hour out of town. They stopped at an all night diner. Sandra finally asked, "How did you find us?"</p><p>"I saw videos of you fighting online. By the way, you're awesome. A total savage."</p><p>Misty gulped, "There's a video?"</p><p>Lauren snickered, "There are a couple dozen videos. Sandra was their most popular female fighter. I liked the ones where you killed the guards, they zapped you pretty bad, though."</p><p>Sandra groaned and rubbed her neck. "Yeah, well, those cattle prods hurt."</p><p>"That was real? It looked real, but I wasn't sure."</p><p>"So wait, what happened to Clark and the guys you decapitated."</p><p>"I've got some friends cleaning it up."</p><p>Misty asked, "So what about all the other fighters? They were all being held there."</p><p>"They'll take care of them too. Make sure they get back home, wherever that is."</p><p>Sandra sat silent for a minute, and said, "So, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're not actually a glue salesman?"</p><p>A smirk crossed Lauren's lips. She leaned in and whispered, "I can't say."</p><p>Sandra and Misty leaned in, and whispered, "So, what about Amanda?"</p><p>"I don't know what happened to Amanda. I'm so sorry. I was in Thailand when I found out about you. I'll do some digging and see if I can come up with anything."</p><p>"Are you coming back to Seattle?"</p><p>"No. I'm leaving for Thailand first thing. I actually need to get going. I'm not supposed to be here."</p><p>Sandra scowled and Misty pushed her face into her palms. "So what are we supposed to do?"</p><p>"I'll contact you through Wook."</p><p>Lauren slid car keys across the table, and said, "Here, take this back to Seattle. It's a rental in the company's name. It's prepaid, just turn it in whenever you're done."</p><p>Sandra and Misty wrapped Lauren in a hug, and said, "Thank you so much." They wiped tears out of their eyes and slid into a white fullsize SUV.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>They found the main road, collected their bearings, and headed west. Two days later, they finally made it to Seattle.</p><p>Their first call was to Wook. The second, Rosalee.</p><p>Misty and Sandra silently cried as they walked through their house, ice cold, in shambles, and a moldy refrigerator full of rotten food.</p><p>They had prayed ceaselessly for Amanda to be waiting for them at home, or perhaps with The Burkhardts, but no one had heard anything.</p><p>Then reality struck. No bills had been paid. All the utilities were shut off, and notices were taped to the door.</p><p>The next day, Sandra sat outside her accounting firm and cried. They had walked her back out. They apologized, but she had been a no-call-no-show for three whole months. They had disposed of her pictures and company awards months ago.</p><p>Misty got the same from the hospital.</p><p>They had no income, a giant stack of bills, and their beautiful Amanda was still missing.</p><p>They returned to their bleak house, slumped into the couch, and cried in each other's arms. Finally Misty sat up, and said, "Adalind Burkhardt is a lawyer in a big firm in Portland, maybe she knows somebody here who can help us sort this out."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Adalind marched into the Seattle accounting firm, dressed for battle in a black Armani pantsuit and red high heels. She already knew the receptionist was a Seelengut, so she looked straight into the woman's eyes, twisted her wrist, and the door unlocked itself. The woman gasped and cowered as Adalind sauntered past. "It's ok, I have a meeting with the owner."</p><p>She rapped once on the owner's door frame, waltzed straight into his office, and said, "Mr. Jones, I'm Adalind Schade, a partner at Berman, Rautbort, and Associates, and I understand you unlawfully terminated my client."</p><p>He stood up, scowled through his wire rimmed glasses, and said, "What? You won't just walk up in my office like this. I have lawyers!"</p><p>She smiled and flicked her wrist. The man's office door swung itself shut. She held out her hand, winked at him, and his gold pen flew across the room, settling into her fingers.</p><p>He gasped and stepped back, pressing himself against the window. He twisted his head and transformed, revealing orange and white fur and flattened canine features of a Fuchsbau. He grimaced and held his palms up in front of him.</p><p>She gently touched his hand and said, "Mr. Jones, there's no reason to be alarmed. I just want to review the particulars of Sandra Prentice's situation with you, and give you a chance to understand this unfortunate incident."</p><p>His eyes glazed over and he heaved a sigh of relief. He transformed himself back into the balding accountant wearing a gray suit.</p><p>She slid a series of documents out of her leather bound folder. She laid a Seattle police report in front of him, as well as the FBI investigation documents. She said, "Mrs. Prentice was kidnapped, along with her wife and daughter several months ago. She was recovered in Illinois a few days ago, but her daughter is still missing. You can imagine the stress she is under right now, and her grief over her daughter, and then to learn she was fired?"</p><p>He fidgeted and mumbled something about none of that being his fault.</p><p>She touched his hand again, and said, "She's been such a loyal employee, for over ten years now. Do you have children?"</p><p>"I have a son and a daughter."</p><p>"Can you imagine, having your daughter kidnapped? I'm sure you will want to make this right, reinstating her job, with back pay."</p><p>His eyes glazed over, and a tear formed in the corner of his eye as his daughter's face pleaded with him. He said, "Oh, yes, of course, absolutely. I can't imagine how difficult it must be, and Amanda is still missing? Does anyone know what happened to her?"</p><p>"They think she was taken out of the country by traffickers."</p><p>"Oh my, I can't imagine. Of course, I'll help her however I can."</p><p>"Perfect. Just sign these forms..."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>3.1k 3/4/21 r1</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Worlds collide</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amanda learns her parents have been rescued.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mixed Messages<br/>Chapter 24<br/>Worlds collide</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>"Escaped?" The princess's saccharine tone never wavered as she innocently queried into her shiny pink phone, "How?"</p><p>Her eyes narrowed, but her voice maintained it's careful calm from the quiet of her white paneled office. She flipped a cheap white pen around her finger. "Sold them? I don't remember the particulars, was that part of our plan, Mrs. Prentice. Mmmm. So what is your current plan now? I'm assuming you will take care of this? Excellent. I am counting on you." She tapped the back of her pen against the white desktop and scribbled a note.</p><p>The gilded tea cup touched her lips. Her eyes closed as it's warmth and richness brightened her spirits. <em>I believe that every scrap of competence in the Prentice family landed on Amanda and her mother. </em>Her fingertips brushed across a picture of herself, Lukas, Amanda, and Antonia at the Christmas ball. She gazed out across the snow-covered fields and houses for several minutes, collecting herself as the ghost of a smile crossed her lips. <em>I have no doubt that either of them would welcome the opportunity to tie up this loose end.</em></p><p>She paused in front of the mirror, straightening her hair and touching up her makeup, before pulling up the video monitor of the gym on her laptop. Amanda's broad smile as she sparred with Lukas brightened her day. <em>I see he's finally broken her of trying to drag him to the ground to wrestle.</em></p><p>Amanda and Lukas transformed into their feline Wesen forms. Lukas' muscular frame, sheeted with slick white fur, striped with black contrasted against Amanda's tiny, blackish, and scruffy feline form. They flashed claws and fangs, brutally battering each other, sending echos crashing up the stairway into her office. Amanda looked like an elf sparring against an adult, until Lukas winced and waved her off, nursing his side and limping while she smiled and wiped crimson off her mouth.</p><p>
  <em>Yes, watch those liver punches. He seems to treat her as if she is Lowen.</em>
</p><p>She remembered the first time Amanda and Lukas sparred as Wesen. The Verrat panicked and drew their guns on the girl. <em>How could I forget. There's no joy like being on the phone with King Victor when a head comes bouncing in the door and splatters blood all over your shoes. </em><em>If it wasn't for Antonia, I would still have a Grimm running around the castle, murdering Verrat. </em></p><p>She gave him an hour to shower and ice his ribs, then called him to her office.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>After dinner, she found Amanda hunched over a school book with scratch paper scattered across an intricately carved walnut table. She rapped on the door jamb, and said, "Good news, your parents have been recovered. The authorities just informed me."</p><p>A broad smile filled Amanda's face as the princess handed her a phone. Amanda dialed, waited, and then frowned and hung up. She tried twice more. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and laid her head on the table. She slid the phone back to the princess and sobbed.</p><p>"Is everything ok?"</p><p>Amanda wiped tears and sniffed. "It won't let me leave a message. Her voice mail is full."</p><p>The princess put her arm around Amanda's shoulders. "I'm so sorry. Lets try again before bed."</p><p>Amanda slumped into the chair. "Ok."</p><p>-/-</p><p>Amanda sniffed as she laid the princess's pink cellphone back into her hand.</p><p>"Your mother didn't answer?"</p><p>Amanda shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the floor.</p><p>"I'm so sorry."</p><p>Amanda sobbed silently as the princess laid her arm around her. She slid a white handkerchief out of her pocket and into Amanda's hand. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you need to."</p><p>"I just want to go home."</p><p>"I know, but without your parents, we have no way to get the documents we need to get you home. Even now, we have no legal authority to keep you here. The police are allowing us to help you, but they could take you into custody if they wanted to."</p><p>-/-/-/-</p><p>Amanda moped around the castle all day. Lukas found her feet sticking out of the fluffy bed covers after dinner. "I heard your parents were recovered."</p><p>The lump shuffled under the down comforter and a sob echoed. "They won't answer the phone."</p><p>"I'm so sorry."</p><p>"I just want to go home."</p><p>"I understand. I've got some information that may interest you."</p><p>Amanda shuffled, uncovering her head.</p><p>Lukas moved closer and whispered, "Please, don't tell anyone I told you this. Do the names Jackson and Connie Prentice mean anything to you?"</p><p>Amanda quirked her brow. "That is my cousin and his wife."</p><p>"Why would they kidnap you and your parents?"</p><p>Black fur sheeted Amanda's body as her face rounded and sharp fangs slid past her lips. She extended her claws and snapped her jaws. "I'm going to hunt them down and hack them to pieces. I'll tear out their throats. Their son tried to rape me, and I killed him."</p><p>"I see. I just got the information from one of my intelligence contacts. I knew you would want to know."</p><p>"I have to get back home before they kill my mother or Misty."</p><p>"We are working on that. Unfortunately, we have no way to get you home without your parents legal documents. I'm sorry."</p><p>Amanda set her face like stone towards the window and gritted her teeth.</p><p>"I have something that might help you feel better."</p><p>She rolled her eyes and shuffled under the covers.</p><p>He unfolded a piece of paper and slid is across the bed. "You want to come with me?"</p><p>She looked over the Wesen Council Bounty paperwork. "What's a Malin Fatal?"</p><p>"Sort of like a Bauerschwein except more hairy and bigger tusks."</p><p>"How do they taste?"</p><p>Lukas chuckled. "Seriously?"</p><p>"What? Is the Grimm going to chop off my head?"</p><p>Lukas paused and then shook his head. "Grimms here are not our friends, but, have you ever heard of Grimm books?"</p><p>"I saw one at my father's house."</p><p>"I have been told we have several here, in a special library. Would you like to see if we can find it?"</p><p>A broad smile lit her face. Amanda followed him out of her bedroom and into a secret passage leading down. They wound past raw timbers, rough plaster pushed through wooden slats, and stonework stained black by hundreds of years of use, passing a dozen doors until they stopped at doubled timbers covered in paneling. Lukas pulled a ring on the lamp and a click echoed. He slid his fingers behind the paneling and gave a tug, revealing a doorway into darkness. "Ready?"</p><p>Amanda nodded as Lukas flicked the switch on his flashlight, and descended into the inky blackness. They followed the smooth stone steps into the earth, passing shelves full of bones, skulls, and ancient carvings until the hallway opened into a round chamber lined with shelves full of bones.</p><p>"The princess told me that we would reach this chamber, and that only a Grimm could find the path."</p><p>Lukas handed Amanda the flashlight. She poked and prodded the room, finding nothing, then shrugged her shoulders. They felt the walls, looking for clues, but there weren't any.</p><p>Amanda wiggled rocks and pushed stones, but nothing happened. She quirked her brow, and turned off the flashlight, soaking the tunnel in black.</p><p>"Oh, that's neat." echoed Amanda's voice.</p><p>"I can't see anything."</p><p>Lukas twisted his head and his body sheeted with slick white fur striped with black. A lone pair of yellow eyes cut through the darkness and scanned across the room, stopping with a shudder.</p><p>"Remember, it's just me. Do you see this?" Amanda tapped her fingers on a blue spark set into the wall.</p><p>"No. I see your fingers, but not what you are pointing at."</p><p>"Calm down. I can't see the marks as well when your headlights are on. You don't really need them anyway. Come on."</p><p>Lukas grumbled. Darkness enveloped him as he retracted into his human form. "Can you see anything?"</p><p>"I can see just fine. Now come on."</p><p>Lukas pushed his fingertips against Amanda, following as her body vanished into the darkness. She navigated like they had practiced for the last three months, using the signals and motions he had trained her from his years in the Russian army. There was no stumbling, bumping, or confusion. Move as a team, kill as a team. Everybody knows where everybody else is. No mistakes.</p><p>She focused, letting her senses prickle as a slight breeze trickled over her skin. She perked her ears and scented the damp air while her brain processed the network of catacombs marked only by the glittering specks. She pushed on and soon came to a series tunnels that crossed the main path.</p><p>"Did you lose the trail?"</p><p>"No, just making sure we got the right one." A click, then a creak and the rattling of dry bones echoed in the darkness followed by a puff of musty air. Amanda wiggled into a narrow opening. "Come on. This way."</p><p>Lukas grunted, sucking his stomach in. He shifted back and forth. His clothes snagged on hewn stone and rough timbers as he forced his broad shoulders into the tiny passage.</p><p>Amanda chuckled as Lukas grumbled and hunched, shuffling down the tunnel that just barely scrubbed her hair.</p><p>"Are you sure this is it?"</p><p>"See? Look." She ran her hand along another blue spark. He shrugged and followed her down the pitch black tunnel.</p><p>Lukas moaned and groaned, scraping and shoving his body along as they wound through passages and passed piles of bones and dozens of unmarked openings before the way stopped.</p><p>She pulled the latches next to a spark by the ceiling, unlocking a wooden door. She slid through, unlocked and slid another piece of paneling aside which elicited a metallic crash. She climbed through a snarl of farm tools, steel fence posts, machine parts, and in fishing poles, and found herself looking at a half dozen tractors bathed in darkness. She squinted and held up her hand, shielding her eyes from the moonlight streaming through a square doorway and illuminating the cottony clouds of breath that hung over their faces. "This doesn't look like a library."</p><p>Oil cans and a metal shelf full of glass jars brimming with rusty bits and greasy pieces shifted as Lukas bulled his way through the dusty thicket of spiny metal and wooden tools.</p><p>He rubbed his back and neck as he stretched to unstick his hunched body. He pulled himself straight against the roll-bar of a tractor. "It's not. It used to be the servant's stables. Now we use it for the groundskeeping equipment."</p><p>Amanda slid another piece of wood aside, pointed at a series of blue sparks on the wall, and snickered. "I think I know where the Grimm books are."</p><p>"Huh? It's not here?"</p><p>She traced her fingers along the patterns and slid the wood back into place. "I think this is how they snuck into the castle when the Royals needed Grimms."</p><p>"Do we have to go back through all those tunnels?"</p><p>Amanda winked and pushed his shoulder. "Come on, it will be fun."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Half an hour later they stood in the servants access behind the walls of the foyer. Lukas groaned as he pulled himself up against the rough-hewn beams. "We could have just taken a golf cart back to the castle and walked in the door."</p><p>Amanda chuckled as he pulled and stretched. "Then, I wouldn't know the way when I have to get in.</p><p>"I have no idea how you found that. I would die down there without a map."</p><p>"Turn off the lights."</p><p>Lukas shrugged and flipped the switch, blanketing the underside of the stairway in darkness.</p><p>"Look." Amanda brushed her hand along a series of blue sparks and stopped at a paneled wall. She clicked a concealed latch and pushed the door open.</p><p>Lukas followed, then pushed a round switch at the end of two bare copper wires. Two flickering light bulbs bathed the dim room in orange shadows, revealing rough wooden walls, a rack of woolen hunting clothing, a cabinet full of ancient weapons, shelves full of liquids and powders, and stacks of books.</p><p>Amanda's eyes glittered at the antique guns, knives, and swords hanging in cabinets and on pegs.. She let her fingertips glide along the treasure as she took it all in.</p><p>Lukas winced as he twisted and turned. "Can you walk on my back. I can barely stand up after all those catacombs."</p><p>"Sure." She kicked off her shoes as Lukas stretched out on an oriental rug laid across the stone floor. Cracks and pops echoed as she gently shifted from side to side, massaging her sock feet into his muscular back.</p><p>She worked her way from his hips to his shoulders, eliciting a sigh of relief from Lukas. "Better?"</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>They inspected the old Grimm quarters. Lukas paused at a silenced pistol. He hefted it's worn grips, then checked the metalwork. "This one was made at the end of World War One. I don't see anything newer."</p><p>"Can I have it?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"How about a Krinkov? I promise I'll keep it in here."</p><p>He tousled her hair. "Maybe when you turn eighteen."</p><p>She stopped at a dagger with a glittering blue stone set in it's pommel. She hefted the knife. "Mmmmm. I think this is one of those stones."</p><p>"It just looks like a lump of brownish coal to me."</p><p>Lukas stood, wondering as the dusty scent of old pipe tobacco, leather, and wool told the story of a place which hadn't seen a single soul in nearly seventy years. "The Grimms and the Royals had a falling out after WWI. The Royals have only managed to attract a handful of Grimms since then."</p><p>She slid a curved dagger out of a shiny wooden sheath. "I wonder what they used this for?"</p><p>"Your ancestors used these to hunt my ancestors."</p><p>"They hunted my ancestors too. You know, my parents never taught me about Grimms."</p><p>"Really? Every single story I learned as a child was about Grimms chopping off my head."</p><p>Amanda ran her fingers over a rough wooden bench, and nestled into the spot rubbed smooth by centuries of use. "My mom said they didn't believe Grimms even existed. Imagine their surprise when I Grimmed."</p><p>"Rough, eh."</p><p>She wiped the dust off of a dog eared book and flipped it open. "Worst day ever. I woged in the mirror and my eyes turned black. I had no idea what was going on. Then, my mom tried to kill me."</p><p>Lukas's mind wandered to the internet videos of Sandra mauling Wesen in cage fights. "Were you badly hurt?"</p><p>"I almost killed her. She's really tricky, hard to catch."</p><p>Lukas paused, rubbing his ribs as he pondered. "Let's see what we are dealing with."</p><p>They spread books across the rough-hewn table and started searching. Amanda let her fingers trail over wood grain of the worn table top as she flipped page after page, peering at ancient script versions of languages she had just begun to learn. "This one looks like French, but it's not French."</p><p>He inspected it for a moment. "That's Provencal. The French abolished it in the 1970's."</p><p>"And this one looks like a cross between German and French."</p><p>"That's Alsatian."</p><p>Lukas looked up from an old brown book. "How did you know this was here?"</p><p>"I saw the markings before. I just didn't know what they were. You really can't see them?"</p><p>"No. I doubt anyone else here can, besides you."</p><p>Amanda's face lit as she considered the revelation.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The next day after school, Lukas found Amanda studying a Grimm book in her bedroom.</p><p>"Are you ready?"</p><p>She tapped her finger on pictures of Lowen dressed in armor. "It says Lowen used to fight in some sort of gladiator games?"</p><p>"Did your mother tell you anything about that?"</p><p>"No. Lowen don't do things like that anymore do they?"</p><p>"Wasn't your mother a fighter?"</p><p>"Not like that. She fought professionally for a year or two before I was born, but she's an accountant. I doubt she's ever even heard of Lowen Games."</p><p>Lukas thought to the videos of Amanda's mother ripping Wesen apart and even eating them in Lowen gladiator fights. Her family was one of the most prominent champion bloodlines. <em>I can tell by the way Amanda fights that they trained her for Lowen Games. She's not going to learn that from me, though. "</em>Ready<em>"</em></p><p>She slid a machete from under the covers and tested it's edge. "It just sounds like fun."</p><p>"You sleep with that?"</p><p>"You sleep with your Krink. Can I have a gun?"</p><p>He tousled her hair. "No."</p><p>"You trained me, you know I'll be safe."</p><p>He rubbed his eyes and groaned. "This isn't America where everybody has ten guns. We need special permits, and you're not old enough. How about this. We'll train more with guns, but we need to keep them locked up in the armory."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Lukas and Amanda sat on a park bench under bare trees looking out over the snow-dotted bushes. He licked a blob of green Pistachio ice cream off his hand. "How do you know she will be here?"</p><p>She looked up from her chocolate ice cream. "She's looking for kids. You don't find them in bars or on streets late at night."</p><p>"But here?"</p><p>Lukas waited for an answer, and when none came, he glanced at the empty park bench and groaned. <em>Dammit!</em></p><p>He found Amanda half an hour later, crouched behind bushes at the edge of the park.</p><p>She shushed him when he started to chide her. "I saw a Grimm. I think she's after the same bounty we are."</p><p>"Did she see you?"</p><p>"I'm not sure, I was in a shadow and had my head in my hoodie."</p><p>"How do you know it's a woman?"</p><p>"I can smell her. She's small, about my size. And this." Amanda plucked a brown, curly hair out of a tiny boot print and held it up to Lukas while she raised her head and scented the air.</p><p>Lukas lifted the hair to his nose. "Definitely a woman. We should go."</p><p>Lukas looked down and Amanda was already gone. <em>I'm going to kill her.</em></p><p>Half an hour later, Lukas had his phone ready to dial, trying to figure out how to explain that he lost Amanda when her voice startled him."She is tricky."</p><p>"You lost her?"</p><p>Amanda nodded.</p><p>"Then she made you. Did you get a good look at her?"</p><p>Amanda shook her head. "I want to meet her."</p><p>"No. Absolutely not. Let's just hope she didn't get a good look at you, or she'll be hunting us."</p><p>Amanda crossed her arms and grumped.</p><p>"You're Lowen. Grimms kill us because we exist. They don't need a reason."</p><p>"I always have a reason."</p><p>"You aren't like them. You're Wesen. You understand this world. They exist only for genocide, nothing more. Come on, the last thing I need is some Grimm hunting you and I back to the castle."</p><p>Visions flashed of being attacked by the Verrat and Wesen staff, simply because she was a Grimm. <em>They have to know I hear them call me Black-eyed demon.</em></p><p>She was about to protest, but his face was set like flint. <em>I'll just have to find her myself.</em></p>
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